


Catra’s Christmas Carol

by SapphicaWrites



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: AU but with elements from Canon, Alternate Universe - A Christmas Carol Fusion, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Catra is in Love with Adora (She-Ra), Catra is still a catgirl etc, Childhood Friends, Domestic Violence, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Ghosts of Christmas, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, King Bow (She-Ra), Magic, Major Character death... sort of, Married Glimmer/Bow (She-Ra), Married Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra), Minor Character Death, Minor Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Queen Glimmer (She-Ra), Royal Guard Adora (She-Ra), Scrooge Catra, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27963851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicaWrites/pseuds/SapphicaWrites
Summary: It's Christmas Eve in the Kingdom of Brightmoon and everyone is happy, everyone except Catra Weaver, a woman who hates the holidays with a burning passion. That night, she is visited by three ghosts who attempt to to show her the beauty of Christmas... and remind her of Adora, the woman she once loved. (Catradora, Victorian AU, A Christmas Carol adaptation, Fluff/Heavy Angst)
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 59
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

It was Christmas time in the kingdom of Brightmoon, when everything was full of light and cheer and everyone had a sense of merriment over the season. There wasn't a person in the whole city who wasn't happy about Christmas... Except for one woman.

Catra Weaver was a vicious and head-strong young woman, who ran a small money lending business in the city's downtown district. She had a deep-seated hatred for the season, not to mention being very uncompassionate and selfish in general, especially with the attitude she displayed to her customers.

Her attitude and behaviour had earned her quite a reputation. She was so fabulously wealthy and yet she never shared it with anyone, not since her business partner and mentor Hordak had passed away some years earlier. However, while Catra hated Christmas, her employee Scorpia loved it.

"Oh isn't Christmas wonderful, Miss Weaver?" Scorpio said cheerfully as she was tidying up the shop. "The lights, the cheer, the food, the celebration!"

Catra looked up at her employee from her desk, her feline ears twitching. "Bah, humbug. It's just a load of stupid nonsense to me."

"Only because you refuse to let such joy into your life," Scorpia remarked with a frown. "All you do is sit here and count your money. Where's your Christmas spirit?"

"Lost somewhere in the proverbial abyss. And that's assuming I ever had one, " Catra grumbled darkly. "Get back to cleaning, will you? We're closing up soon."

"I've just finished, actually," Scorpia said as she put away her dustpan and broom. She meticulously arranged them in a neat and orderly matter, as to make finding what she needed easier for next time. She liked to keep things in order so as to not draw the ire of Miss Weaver.

"Did you?" Catra asked with a sneer. Picking herself up from her desk, the feline meticulously examined every inch of her office. After a few minutes, she sneered again. "The windows are still filthy," she stated, "and you missed some ashes by the stove. There's still some mud on the doorframe and your desk looks like an absolute sty."

Without a word, Scorpia picked up her broom, pan, and a rag, returning to her cleaning duties. Catra was a woman who was simply impossible to please.

"And the solution you'll be using to clean will come right out of your paycheck" Catra stated coldly before returning to her own desk to look over more of her paperwork, as Scorpia sighed.

 _So much for getting off early for Christmas_ , the scorpion woman inwardly muttered as she began to clean the windows.

A ring of a bell above the door signalled the arrival of a pair of customers. Catra groaned as the sound disturbed her from her counting. Who on Earth could want to do business at this late hour? Even Hordak never saw guests this late and he was practically a vampire.

"Scorpia! See who that is, will you?" Catra commanded. "Now."

"Right, right," the tall arachnid woman responded obediently. She walked to the door and opened it, allowing the two customers to step inside. "Welcome to Weaver and Weaver! Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Good evening," one of them, a tall well-built man with sun-kissed skin, shaggy sea damaged hair, and a superb moustache said, "we're representatives for the Brightmoon Society for Humanity, and we're asking for your help."

"In lieu of the season," the man's partner, a just as tall woman with olive skin and ocean blue hair, said, "we're asking for donations to a local orphanage, to bring warmth and happiness to multiple lost children in such trying times. Many, if not all, other businesses have been most generous with their donations. And now, it's your turn. So, how much are you willing to donate tonight?"

Catra's ear twitched at the mere mention of charity. Such thoughts revolted her. She got up and strode over to Scorpia and the customers, growling angrily.

"Piss off, " Catra snarled. "I don't give a rat's ass about your orphanage. All I care about is my money."

"Woah, Boss, take it easy, " Scorpia said, trying to calm her own, but Catra was having none of it. "They're only asking for help."

"Well, they can get it somewhere else, " Catra growled.

"Miss Weaver, we aren't asking for much, please, " the man pleaded. "All that myself and Lady Mermista are asking is just one mere donation. Everyone knows you are so wealthy so please, it doesn't need to be much."

Catra sighed tersely. "Just leave... Before I have my employee throw you out."

The blue-haired woman sighed. "Come on, darling. We're clearly not getting anywhere with them."

As the two of them left, Scorpia put her claws on her shoulders, as Catra just slumped back to her desk, the catgirl rubbing her forehead in stress. "Well, that was just rude of you. If you didn't want to donate, you should have at least been polite."

"I don't pay you to criticise me, Scorpia! " Catra snapped, barking over her shoulder. "Don't you have some scrubbing that still needs doing?"

Scorpia looked down, accepting that Catra wasn't going to budge. "Fine, I'll get back to it... But you really need to lighten up. Not everyone's gonna wanna do business with us if you keep up that attitude."

Catra merely grumbled in response, a half-hearted acknowledgement that she heard her employee's words. With a listless sigh, Scorpia returned to her cleaning, quietly sweeping up the ashes near the stove.

After hours of sweeping, dusting, polishing and organizing, Scorpia was finally done. And not a second too soon either, as a quick glance out the window revealed that night had fallen, and thus, closing time. Pulling on her coat, scarf, and earmuffs, she made her way to the door. "Well, closing time's here, and time for me to head home. Good night, Miss Weaver!" she bid to her employer.

The catgirl turned her head up, watching Scorpia leave. A quick glance at her clock revealed to be 9:00, closing time. Turning back to the scorpion woman, she bid "Good night, Scorpia," before stating "I expect to see you back here the day after tomorrow."

Scorpia paused, looking back with disbelieving eyes. "But... Miss Catra," she said, " What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I'll be counting my money," Catra remarked as though it were the most obvious answer. "What do you think I'll be doing?"

"Well it's just... It'd be really nice if you came to spend Christmas with me and my family. My wife will probably be cooking up a lovely Christmas ham and I'm sure our kids will love you."

Glaring in rage, Catra's eye twitched at Scorpia. "Have you taken leave of your senses? Do you think I'd actually want to be bothering myself with... your ridiculous festive cheer?"

"But you shouldn't be lonely!" Scorpia insisted.

"And you should learn when to mind your own business!" Catra retorted harshly. "Now, I'd suggest you leave. _Now_."

Without another word and with a heavy heart, Scorpia turned to leave.

"Oh, and Scorpia?" Catra called. Quickly turning, hoping that her boss changed her mind and decided to join her, Scorpia only received disappointment when she said "I expect you back here early the day after tomorrow, to make up for your lost hours. Is that clear?"

Scorpia sighed sadly. She knew there was no changing Catra's mind when it came to working. "Yes, Miss Weaver..." she said, already dreading what she was going to tell her wife.

As Scorpia closed the door behind her, Catra went back to her counting. Once she'd finally finished counting her money, she placed all of it in the safe at the back of her shop before closing up for the night. As she threw on her coat and hat, she stepped out into the cold street in front of her.

As much as she hated Christmas, she hated the cold just as much. It made all her fur and her tail stand on end and the snow would always find its way down the collar of her coat. Fortunately, she didn't have much of a walk home.

Her rather large townhouse was just a few miles from her shop, yet in this cold, it felt like it was much further away. The blizzard that was howling through the town wasn't exactly helping her visibility. Even though cats saw better than humans, Catra was still struggling.

Grumbling under her collar, Catra wanted so badly to be warm. She hugged herself tightly, trying to warm herself up in a single desperate attempt.

She trudged through the ever piling winter snow, each step crunching under her feet. With each step, she felt a bitingly cold wetness seep around her feet. She groaned in dismay. "I'll have to buy a new pair of boots" she grimaced, already counting in her head how much of her money she'll lose in the purchase.

Suddenly, as she grimaced and groused about needing new boots, she bumped into someone quite hard. The bump was enough to knock all parties onto their rears, Catra grunting as she was knocked onto the snow-covered pavement with an "oof".

"I'm so sorry!" one of the fall victims quickly said, picking himself and his partner up. "Are you alright, Miss?"

"Watch where you're going!" Catra snapped as she dusted off any snow that clung to her. When she thoroughly dusted herself off, she looked over at her assailants. They were a man and a woman, a couple if she could judge by how the man gingerly picked up the woman and dusted her off. He was tall, scrawny, dark-skinned and had dark curly hair. The woman was short, plump, fair-skinned and had shimmering pink and purple hair.

"Sorry, my wife and I got kind of lost," the man said. "We're from out of town and are looking for a hotel to stay for the night. You wouldn't happen to know where one is, would you?"`

"What do I look like, a tour guide?" Catra snarled. "You want to find something, geta map!" She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I don't have time for this, just fuck off and get out of my way!" She then barged past the pair, pushing them back onto their rumps.

The pair picked themselves up again, the woman scowling at Catra. "That was rude," she remarked, dusting herself off. When she was clean enough, the pair returned to each other's side, each casting one more look at Catra. The man's gaze was sad, as he sensed that there was something more to the woman, something she didn't want to confront. The woman, however, just scowled.

As Catra made her way down the street, her mind suddenly shot back to the pair she ran into. Pausing, she turned, trying to get a clearer look at the pair. Unfortunately, they were too far away at that point, so making out any fine details would prove to be next to impossible.

"Why did they seem so familiar?" she murmured to herself. She quickly dismissed that train of thought as a strong gust of wind buffeted against her. She'd figure out who those two were, and why they seemed so familiar to her, when she wasn't nearly freezing.

Finally, she arrived at her home. It was big and lofty, perfectly befitting to her style, but it was also lonely. It was far too big for a single person, what with all the bedrooms and several bathrooms. The place practically begged for a family to inhabit it, to fill its vast halls with the sound of laughter and joy.

She shook the thought from her head: she had no need for family. She was more than content with her life. She was vastly wealthy and didn't have any sort of parasitic connections to try and mooch off of her. So long as she had her fortune, she was happy.

Approaching the front door, a harsh, deathly cold wind blasted into her, nearly knocking her to her feet. Righting herself, she fought against the wind, forcing her way to sanctuary. After minutes of fighting, she reached the door. Holding onto the doorknob, she attempted to fish out her keys from her pocket. Suddenly, she caught some sort of movement out of the corner of her eyes. Shifting her gaze, she watched in amazement: the doorknob she was holding onto was morphing, changing shape before her eyes. What once was a simple wooden knob now rested a face, a frighteningly familiar face. Pointed ears and piercing red eyes.

"Hordak?" she murmurs, not believing what she was seeing.

"CATRA!" the face of Hordak wailed, a greater blast of wind and cold battering against her. The blast was so great, it actually knocked her off the stoop of her door.

She quickly picked herself up, checking to see if she had sustained any injuries. Satisfied that she was not harmed, she turned her attention back to her door. A quick glance showed the doorknob had returned to its original form. Was Catra going mad? Had that really been real?

She shook off her confusion. "Must be more tired than I thought..." she assured herself before finally entering.

As she entered her home, Catra quickly made herself some supper, before heading to bed. All the while, she couldn't shake off the image of Hordak, her old partner calling to her. She had been thinking of him a lot lately, especially the circumstances of his death.

He'd died around this time of year seven years earlier. He poured all his effort into their business... and eventually, that was what killed him. She remembered how Entrapta, one of her former employees, had discovered his dead body slumped on his desk after an all-nighter, dead from a heart attack.

But Catra on the other hand, while she did feel some sadness that Hordak was gone, was more than happy to inherit his wealth. It was how she was able to afford this townhouse after all, though she still craved more money and power by the day. It was her dream to be the richest woman in the whole kingdom, even wealthier than the royal family.

Eventually, the catgirl climbed into her bed, switching off her lamp. As she lay in the darkness, she tried to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. However... that was not to be as she was kept awake by the sound of the wind howling outside.

"Goddamn it..." Catra groaned, turning in her bed.

She tried to sleep, but the wind outside only got louder... and then the knocking started. A loud banging on her front door, something trying to bash its way in. Catra was startled, hugging the sheets in her bed. Then she heard the sound of something heavy, slumping up the stairs, dragging what appeared to be chains behind it.

"What the hell?!" Catra exclaimed.

And then... she saw him again. In her room, Catra gazed as the spectral form of Hordak, the man she had thought dead for seven years, appeared before her. He looked thin and frail and his body was clearly transparent. His skin was much paler, but Catra easily recognised him by his distinctive black hair and red eyes. He was wearing the same clothes as he was the night he died, only large iron chains were wrapped around him and seemed to be weighing him down.

"Catra..." he groaned. "Hear my voice..."

"H-Hordak?" Catra asked. "No... No this isn't real. I'm dreaming. Ghosts don't exist... do they?"

"I am very real," Hordak's ghost explained. "This is no dream."

"Okay... so if you are real... what the hell are doing here?!" Catra snapped.

"I have come to give you a warning," Hordak told her. "If you do not change your arrogant, selfish ways, you will be doomed to an unhappy life... and a terrible, pointless death."

"How would you know that?!" Catra argued.

"Because I suffered in the same way. I was arrogant, bitter, greedy... and for my sins, I never made the connection with the world that others do, only caring about myself. Now I am doomed to walk this earth as a ghost, the chains preventing me from passing on."

"Hey, you're the one who taught me everything you knew about the business!" Catra argued. "I wouldn't have been the woman I am today if not for you."

"And that is your mistake," Hordak said. "You did not realise the full consequences of your actions, you did not better yourself... but I am here, because you are being given a second chance. On this night, three of my friends from the spirit world will visit you and they will try to show you the error of your ways."

"And if I don't?"

"You are free to live as you choose," Hordak stated. "However, if you don't take their advice, you will only end up the same as me. I urge you, Catra. Listen to what they have to say... or be damned to die as you are!"

The chains around Hordak's form tightened, dragging him seemingly into the floor, away from the terrified Catra. "Remember, the three spirits!" he called out. "Heed their words carefully, or be damned as I have! Expect the first ghost tonight, when the bell tolls one!"

"Can't I just meet them all at once, and get it over with?" Catra asks, mind still reeling at the revelation before her.

"When the bell tolls one!" Hordak repeats before being dragged into the ground, the Earth beneath him cracking and crimson smoke spewing out.

As swiftly and as suddenly as he appeared, Hordak was gone. Catra picked herself up, looking over where she saw her mentor vanish into. There were no cracks, no scorch marks, no ashes, nothing to indicate any sort of gateway opened. There were also no footprints to indicate anybody stood where Hordak was.

She picked herself up, absently walking around her bedroom, paying no real attention to her surroundings. She jumped slightly when her hand brushed against something metallic. Picking it up, she saw that it was a copper wine glass, a scant pool of wine still inside. Looking at where it was, she saw a deep red pool of wine staining her carpets.

She looked over to where Hordak was, then to the glass in her hand. She chuckled her herself. "Too much wine," she told herself. Gently placing the cup back onto the small table, she looked back to the stain. She huffed. "Cleaning this will cost a fortune" she groused, her head beginning to throb as she calculated how much she'd have to spend to remove the stain.

"I'll think about it tomorrow," she said, dropping her mental athletics for the moment. She swiftly made her way back into her bed, exhaustion already beginning to claim her. Looking at her bedside clock, she groaned: it was midnight, officially Christmas morning.

She was suddenly reminded of the warning her drunken vision gave her, because she was too sensible to believe that she actually saw a ghost. "Ghosts," she scoffed, burying herself in her blanket, "humbug!"

xXx

**Author's Note:** Merry Christmas everyone! I'll be putting out new chapters of this story every day until Christmas day! Special thanks to my new friend Manplays for writing it with me. See you soon!


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter_ _2_

A couple of hours later, Catra awoke not to the sound of any ghostly apparitions, but to her own bodily limitations. She was desperate for a pee. Begrudgingly, Catra crawled out of her bed, stumbling to the bathroom to relieve herself.

However, as she was washing her hands, she couldn't help but think about Hordak and the three ghosts. Was it real? Or was it really just her mind playing tricks on her? Or perhaps even a dream? Catra, couldn't help but ponder it... but it didn't matter. as she wanted to simply go back to bed.

But as she walked into her room, she felt a sudden chill of wind blow past her, along with some sort of blinding white light. She heard the sound of a clock chiming loudly, signalling that it was now one in the morning. And there, sitting on her bed... was one of the spirits she had been warned about.

The spirit resembled a slightly older man, around the same age as Hordak had been when he died, if not slightly older. He was quite tall, wearing a flowing white robe. His hair was long and silver, flowing behind him in an invisible breeze, and his eyes were glowing an eerie, unsettling green.

"Hello, Catra," he spoke, in a rather unnerving yet polite voice.

Catra stared, wary. "Are you one of the spirits Hordak mentioned? The ones who are supposed to be showing me the error of my ways?"

"That is correct, little sister," the spirit replied. "I am he who is called the Ghost Of Christmas Past. I represent all that has come before, all the joy and festivities of this time of year in days gone by. I come to you to help you reflect on your past."

"Heh, fat chance," Catra snarked. "There's nothing in my past that's worth remembering."

"I very much disagree," the Ghost replied. "I believe the past is one of life's great teachers. If we can not learn from our past, how can we prepare ourselves for the future?"

"I make clever investments," Catra argued. "I do prepare for the future."

"And how many of those investments pay off in the end, hmm? Is money all you see in your future?"

"Money is what makes the world go round and to be successful in this world, one must have as much money as they can," Catra stated.

"And who told you that? My dear little brother Hordak?" the ghost wondered. "You saw how he ended up, chained and imprisoned in death. Do you want that? Doesn't it scare you?"

"No, and why are you calling us that?" Catra asked.

"All you humans are like my little siblings," The ghost explained. "It is my duty with all my knowledge of the past to shepherd you, to help you to learn and to grow... and I think by looking at your past, you can grow quite a bit, especially from a past as colourful as yours."

Catra crossed her arms in defiance. "Really?" she scoffed. It was obvious she wasn't buying what this so-called 'spirit' was selling. And yet, she couldn't help but remember Hordak, being dragged through the floor to what was seemingly the pits of hell itself.

The spirit chuckled. "I see you are a sceptic" he replied, before opening his robe to pull out a single trinket. It was an hourglass, small, but ornate. The sands within it shone with a golden light and swayed like the tides on the beach. With a smirk, he looked at Catra before turning the glass. He turned it once, twice, three, four times, and let the sand within pour from the top globe to the bottom. As the sand fell, the world too fell away, Catra quickly jumped towards the spirit, clinging on to him for dear life.

"Fear not," the spirit said, eyes locked onto the glass. "It is only the sands of time, turning back to reveal to you that which you had forgotten, and must learn again."

She merely held on tighter, clenching her eyes closed. For what felt like hours, Catra could hear the cacophony of jumbled voices: old ones, young ones, some she remembered, some she forgot, some she wished to forget. They rattled around in her head, permeating her skull and burrowing themselves directly into her brain. She wanted to clasp her ears, hoping in some vain attempt to block them out, but she was far too afraid to let go.

At last, after what was only a few minutes, but felt like eons, the spirit spoke. "We've arrived," it told her, slipping the hourglass back into his robe.

Cracking an eye open, Catra quickly glanced around before gingerly tapping her foot against solid terra firma. Relieved to see that she wouldn't plummet to her end, she let go of the spirit, looking around at where she was. It appeared to be a heavily forested area, with countless pines spreading out as far as the eye can see. All of it was covered in a blanket of shimmering white, fresh snow falling around them.

"Where are we?" she asked more to herself than her guest.

"Do you not remember?" he asked, walking beside her and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Take a guess, we have all the time in the world."

Catra racked her brain, trying to think about where she was. For some reason, this forest felt very familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where. Faint memories she'd long forgotten were at the edge of her thoughts, something just wasn't clicking with her.

Suddenly, she heard something: laughter. Little kids were laughing and playing nearby. Overwhelmed by curiosity, she followed the sound to their source, her bare feet making crunching sounds through the snow at her feet. After her short trek through the woods, she came across something that made her pause.

"Do you remember now?" the spirit asked.

Catra merely nodded. "How can I forget it?" she replied, before choking out, "This was my home..."

Standing before the two was a two-story schoolhouse, it's old facade clean and pristine as if it was just put together. Around the building, children ran and played, throwing snowballs and making snow angels. Catra trembled, her memories of this building flooding her. Looking up, she gasped, eyes locked on the wrought iron gate above her, and the sign hanging on it. It was a simple name, but to her, it meant the world. The sign read 'Harold Primus Youth Academy and Orphanage'

"I remember" Catra murmured, looking over at all the children before her. "I remember all of them," she said clearer, a gleam of happiness beginning to shine in her eyes, a happiness that hadn't been seen in the young businesswoman in so many years.

"Over there, that's Rogelio," she said, pointing to a lethargic looking lizard boy, "the poor moron was never any good in the winter. And there," she said, pointing to a muscular dark-skinned girl, "that's Lonnie. She was a pro when it came to sports. But I could have taken her" Catra boasted. And that was how the past while went: Catra pointing out old classmates she remembers and commenting on what she thought of them. Some of them sounded like they might be of some acknowledgement of their skills, but most were more boastful of her superiority over them.

"And, what of that one? Do you know her?" the spirit asked, pointing to one child in particular. Catra paused, a frown crossing her face.

"Of course I know her," Catra said, flatly. "That's me."

The young Catra sat on the school house's steps, alone. She huddled herself tightly under her heavy winter coat, trying to stave off the chill of winter. Her future self softly approached, hand extended just slightly. As she inched closer and closer to her child self, she watched as her young self got pelted with a snowball in the face. Both Catra's growled, eyes locking on the assailant. Young Catra fell into giggles when she saw who attacked her, while older Catra gasped, covering her mouth and clutching her chest.

She was a little thing, no older than young Catra at the time, with blonde hair, rosy skin, a tooth missing in her face-stretching smile, and the softest, kindest blue eyes the feline had ever seen.

"I take it you recognize her?" the spirit asked, to which Catra only nodded.

"Adora..." Catra said, struggling to find the words. "My best friend."

"Come on Catra!" Adora encouraged her friend. "Don't you wanna go build a snowman?"

"Sure!" the little catgirl replied, as Adora grabbed her hand and led her away. The two girls ran off into the playground, finding a small spot all to themselves as Adora started to roll the snow together into a large pile which would be the start of the foundations of their snowman.

Older Catra sighed, looking at her younger self. Such happier times. She couldn't remember the last time she'd thought about Adora... but she knew she wasn't thinking about this, their childhood.

"You did everything together," the ghost stated observantly.

Catra nodded. "We played every day and got up to all sorts of trouble. Miss Huntara, the lady who ran the orphanage used to tell us off all the time when we got in trouble. Oh, we had so much fun though." She chuckled. "I remember this one time we scared Kyle so badly he peed his pants right there and then. The look on his face."

"I wonder... how did such a playful young girl become such a cruel, horrible woman?" the ghost wondered.

Then Catra grumbled, reflecting on one of the first uglier memories of her past. "Christmas happened..." she growled, sadness edged in her voice.

As her words escaped her lips, the world melted around her, like shifting sands in an hourglass. She didn't hide away from it this time, though. Instead, she stood rigid, watching the world around her, her happiness, vanish. She knew exactly what she was about to see.

When the world finally came back into being, she stood in front of the same orphanage, looking at her crying younger self sitting on the steps in front of the front door.

"Adora!" young Catra wailed, clutching a crayon drawing tight in her clawed hands. It depicted herself and Adora, holding hands on a snowy day, a Christmas tree between them, with the crudely spelled out words 'TOGETHER FOREVER' printed in big bold print on it.

"Catra, dearie?" a voice called, catching the felids attention. She turned to see the kind face of an older woman smiling sadly at her.

"Madam Razz!" Young Catra whimpered, her bottom lip blubbering and tears flooding her eyes before she ran headlong into the caretaker's dress, burying her face in the fold and wailing. The tears streamed down her fur covered cheeks as she clutched the older woman.

The caretaker gently knelt down, and picked up the sobbing child. She gently shushed her, stroking her back in hopefully a comforting manner. "There, there" she cooed, "you'll see your friend again someday."

"But, why!?" young Catra sobbed, "why'd she get adopted and not tell me!? I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

The caretaker remained quiet for a while, gently rocking the crying child in her arms. "Maybe," she said softly, "your friend didn't want to hurt you. I'm sure she was just as hurt knowing that she'd be leaving without you by her side, so, to spare you the pain of knowing, she left."

"But she promised" young Catra cried, to which the adult Catra repeated, "she promised."

"What did she promise?" the spirit asked.

Catra swallowed, a harsh lump suddenly forming in her throat. "We made a promise," she said, "that if one of us was ever going to get adopted, we would convince our adopter to take the other as well."

The caretaker sighed. "I'm sorry, Dearie. But... These things happen. Perhaps when you're older, you'll see her again,"

"NO!" The little cat girl cried. "No, I didn't want her to go!"

The little girl pulled away and ran up the stairs to her room. Older Catra tried to follow her, wanting to hug her younger self... but she knew she couldn't change the past. This was what had happened all those years ago. She started to cry as well, thinking of Adora.

"I... I didn't realise it then," Older Catra spoke. "I was so so young... but I realised that I loved Adora. I'd been in love with her all this time. It's just... I didn't understand why it felt so bad. But over the years I knew it was a crush, I knew I had feelings for her… I loved her."

The spirit merely nodded. "When did you learn this truth?" he asked her as he pulled out his hourglass again.

Catra shuddered, the memory of her realization hitting her with the force of an out of control horse-drawn cart. "I didn't know until years later, on another Christmas..." she said, her tone dazed.

Once again, the world faded away, and the pair of observers watched as a new setting rose up from the void around them. Like paint on a canvas, the image came into view, and when it finally finished, Catra smiled. She was inside of a large warehouse full of people, the room decorated with adornments of the season.

"Does this place look familiar to you?" he asked as he stowed away his talisman, a small smile on his face.

"Look familiar?" Catra scoffed, "How can I forget this place? This is Octavia's import and export harbour! I was the bookkeeper here! God, I loved working at this place." She looked around. "Though, I don't think this was my office. I worked in another building... behind the world's smallest desk if I remember right."

Catra's grin only grew when a figure emerged from the nearby door that led into the room. She was a much older woman, with blue rubbery skin, fin-like ears, tentacles coiling and writhing off her scalp, and a large swath of bandages over her right eye. "Oh my God, it's miss Octavia!" she exclaimed, happy to see her previous employer standing before her. "The lady may have been a royal bitch at times, but she certainly knew how to keep her workers in line," She sighed in reverence. "I so wanted to be just like her when I got to her age. Confident, successful, not to mention filthy rich."

Miss Octavia looked at her guests, smiling at them. "Now then!" she clapped her hands and tentacles together, rubbing them with enthusiasm, "time to get this Christmas party started!"

As the crowd erupted with cheer, Catra face palmed herself. "Of course; miss Octavia's annual Christmas party!" she groaned. "I don't know why I forgot about that! Those were the biggest events of the season while I worked under her!"

"Were they?" the spirit asked. Catra only nodded in response, taking in the sights and memories of such happy times for her. Without any prompt, the spirit took Catra's arm and dragged her through the crowd. She struggled to escape his grip, but it proved to be in vain. Before she knew it, the spirit and Catra both walked straight through several of the people, phasing completely through them.

She paused, turning from the people to the spirit. "How did we do that?" she asked.

"We are not of this plane" the spirit replied, "as such, menial barriers mean nothing to us."

A sense of uncomfortableness overwhelmed Catra, that to all the other people in this room, she was just like the ghost, immaterial and not of this world. She wondered if this was what Hordak felt like now, constantly wandering the world suffering, no one caring in the world.

The spirit smiled. "So... You liked these parties?"

"Not exactly, " Catra said. "But this was... God, over twelve years ago now, I was a different woman back then."

The warehouse was packed: peoples of all shapes, sizes, and colours clamoured and mingled about, sharing stories and breaking bread, their barriers cast away to share in the warmth of the Christmas season. In the middle of it all, on a slightly raised stage, miss Octavia tried to call out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please!" she called out, to no reaction. Everyone was so caught up in their own conversations, they didn't notice their hostess speak. "Excuse me!" she tried, but still no reply. "Hello!" she tried again, to no avail. "People!" The cacophony didn't lower. At this point, enough was enough for the now, literally, red-faced octopus woman.

"QUIET!" she bellowed. Finally, silence fell, all eyes turned to the fuming hostess. The room was now so quiet, one could have sworn someone had just died. There were a few moments of silence as their host composed herself to speak again.

Catra took a half step back, having forgotten how loud her old employer's voice could be. "It was never a good idea to get her mad," she whispered to her guide.

"Thank you" Octavia sighed, as she straightened herself out. "Now then... First off, I would like to thank you all for attending tonight. It really does my old heart good to see so many of my business partners and repeat customers joining us this evening in celebration of the season."

"That's Miss Octavia for you. Even during Christmas, she was all business" Catra murmured.

"And to all you new faces who decided to join us, I welcome you warmly, and hope that you enjoy this evening" she stated as her tentacles picked up a metal wine glass. She takes the glass into her hand, and holds it aloft before her. "To old friends and new, to family young and old, and everyone in between, I do wish you good tidings, and fair trade in your endeavours and businesses. Merry Christmas!" she toasted, to which every guest held up their own glass, be it crystal for wine or a copper mug for stronger ales, and toasted her back with an equally enthusiastic "Merry Christmas!"

With pleasantries taken care of, a small band began to play, many of the guests taking their cues to grab a partner and move to the centre of the warehouse and dance. All the while, the mingling resumed, merriment and camaraderie flowing freely, as was the alcohol. Catra merely watched, remembering the good times she had during this part of her life.

She really had loved working here, but she knew working for Hordak had been much better. He considered her an equal, and not at the bottom of the barrel when it came to her working for Octavia. With Hordak, at least she knew she was going to be getting somewhere with her life.

"This seems to be quite a lively gathering" the spirit observed, his emerald green eyes constantly shifting between the multiple guests.

"They were," Catra replied. "Everyone had so much fun at these parties. There was food, drink, music, dancing, it practically had it all."

The spirit paused his observations, straightening himself up. "I see many familiar faces at this gathering, but you seem quite absent. Why is that?" he asked.

Catra folded her arms. "I was too busy. As I said, I was the bookkeeper here, so most of my time was making sure this place was actually making money. Even when it was the holidays, I rarely ever took breaks from my work."

"Excuse me! Sorry! Sorry, one side, please! Pardon me! Sorry, coming through!" a familiar voice excused as it pushed through the multiple throngs of people. Pushing through one more pair, the voice revealed itself to be Catra, now much older than when the time travelers last saw her.

Her hair was much shorter now and much more neatly styled than her child self had been, though it wasn't as short as the Catra of the present wore her own hair. Also, notable about this Catra was the fact she was wearing glasses. Catra felt a bit embarrassed upon seeing her younger self wearing them.

"Ah, you used to wear glasses, " The spirit noticed.

Catra glared at the spirit. "Shut up!" she barked, her face flushing red.

"Miss Octavia!" the younger Catra called out over the deluge of voices. "Miss Octavia!"

"Now, despite my appearance, I've always been a bit of a softie around Christmas time," Octavia told one of her guests. "In fact, I once humoured the thought of throwing them twice a year."

"I wouldn't," her guest told her. "The downtime from this one party alone would completely throw my finances into disarray."

"Miss Octavia!" Catra panted, finally reaching her employer. "There you are!"

"Catra?" Octavia asked, a firm hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Catra just wheezed, recovering from her harrowing trek. "Just... give me a minute," she said between heavy intakes of breath. Finally, when she was able to get air back into her lungs, she straightened herself out and handed a large ledger to her. "I've been looking over the finances from this month, and I found some very troubling numbers."

Octavia took the ledger and skimmed over it. "Everything seems fine to me Catra," she said before simply closing the book and handing it back. "Maybe you miscounted. You have been putting in some rather long hours lately."

Younger Catra frowned and her older self remembered how even though she liked working for Octavia, she hated how stubborn and ignorant she could be, especially when Catra actually brought up information that was quite serious to her business.

Octavia's guest held out his hand. "May I?" he asked. Without a word, Octavia handed him the ledger, and he thoroughly looked over it. He gazed at the pages for a minute or two, going over each detail with meticulous scrutiny. Finally, he closed the ledger and handed it back to Octavia. "Your bookkeeper was right," he simply said.

"She was?" Octavia asked.

"I was?" Catra repeated.

"Indeed," he said. "The cost of this entire party was quite expensive. In fact, a little too great for this business. If you plan on making up the losses you'll obtain tonight, you'll have to boost your sales by at least 15%. I would suggest raising prices for imports."

Octavia scoffed, waving off her guest. "Hordak, you greedy Scrooge," she scoffed. "It's Christmas; the season for generosity. So what if we're in the red for a while, if people are happy and enjoying themselves, that's all that really matters. After all, happy guests return as happy customers. I'll easily get back all that I lost, and I wrote everything down here as a business expense. A nice little tax write-off, if I do say so myself."

Hordak sighed. "If you say so..." he said simply, excusing himself from Octavia. As he did, he paused in front of Catra, looking her over. Catra just froze in place, not knowing what to do. After a minute, Hordak smiled, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small card. "I could use a sharp, analytical mind like yours in my lending firm," he said as he handed her the card. "What say we meet for a luncheon sometime after this party. How about sometime next week?"

Young Catra only nodded, too scared to do anything else.

With a smile and a small nod, Hordak made his way deeper into the warehouse and disappeared amongst the guests.

"We met for lunch a month after the party," Modern Catra said proudly. "After that, he offered me an apprenticeship at his lending firm, and I accepted on the spot. He was going to pay me so much better than Octavia anyway. Two weeks later, he officially changed the sign of his firm to read 'Weaver & Weaver'. In a sense, he kind of adopted me."

"Interesting," the ghost replied. "And yet, despite throwing yourself into your work... You longed for something more."

As younger Catra mulled over what had just happened, her being offered a new job, she completely failed to notice where she was going and bumped into someone. Both parties fell, Catra dropping her glasses. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she frantically groped around blindly for her glasses.

"No no! It was my fault!" the over voice, a familiar voice, stated as they aided in her search.

After a short while, the guest found Catra's glasses and easily slipped them back onto her face. "Thank you so..." Catra froze, she returned vision filled with what could only be described as "beauty personified".

She may be taller than before, and much more developed than when they were children, but everything else, from her beautiful blonde hair, her rosy, silky looking skin, to her brilliant blue eyes, were all the same. Catra could only gape at the girl, now a full-grown, beautiful woman, before her.

"A-Adora?" she whispered.

Adora smiled, looking just as, if not more surprised at seeing her friend again. Through her surprise though, she smiled, her eyes filling with happy tears. "Catra!" She exclaimed, before pulling her best friend into a tight loving embrace. As Catra hugged back, Adora sighed. "My god... I didn't think I'd see you again."

While her younger self was overjoyed to see her friend again, older Catra just looked away. She knew how this was going to end and didn't want to see it all over again. The memories... they were just too painful for her. She knew this was the night she truly lost Adora.

"Stop, I've seen enough," she said to the ghost. "Do whatever it is you did with your hourglass and get me back to my own time. I don't wanna see this."

"No, I want to see where this all went wrong," the ghost insisted. "I wonder, how did such a beautiful moment turn so... sour."

"Things happened, okay?!" Catra snapped, averting her gaze from what lay before her. "People change."

The ghost scoffed. "And who among you changed: her, or you?" he asked bitingly.

The world shifted again, time speeding up. When the flow of time stopped, hours had passed. Catra saw herself and Adora standing before each other by the window overlooking the waterfront, fury etched on both their frozen faces. Both of them seemed to be in a very spirited shouting match.

"And what happened here?" the spirit asked in a mocking tone. "What was it that made you two so spirited?"

Catra growled. "She told me she was joining the royal guard..." she said simply, her hands shaking. "I tried to talk her out of it, make her see that we could work together with Hordak at his lending firm, that we would be together again. But she refused. She told me about the family that adopted her, how her mother was the captain of the guard and she wanted to be like her. At that point, I told her about how I spent my life still in the orphanage, watching other kids get adopted while I was left alone. After that, things just devolved. She blamed me for being so clingy, and I blamed her for leaving me alone."

"And, who blamed whom first?" the spirit tilted his head.

"Technically, I blamed her first, but that's not the point!" Catra said defensively. "The point is she was abandoning me, again! I brought up how she abandoned me when she got adopted, and she replied that she tried to convince her parents to take me as well!" She scoffed. "I didn't believe her. If she had really tried, I would have been adopted as well! I know it! She just wanted to get rid of me! I knew she abandoned me that day! I told her that I knew she hated me, she said she didn't! Like I'd believe her, after everything she'd done to me!"

"So, your so-called 'friend' lied to you? Your whole life?" The spirit asked, inching closer and closer to Catra. "Why is it that I don't believe you, little sister?"

"Of course she was!" Catra stated, glaring at her past friend's face. "How else could she have used me like she did!?"

Then Catra looked at her younger self, still arguing with Adora.

"You abandoned me, Adora!" the younger Catra shouted, her tail poofing up in rage. Future Catra could see the heartbreak on the younger woman's face, a heartbreak the present-day Catra had never recovered from. "You were my friend... you were more than my friend! I loved you!"

Adora just stared in shock. "You... loved me?"

"Yes! And if you felt the same, you shouldn't have left me to rot in that horrible place, as I had to scrape a living while your family served you on a silver platter!" yelled the furious catgirl. "Admit it, Adora! You abandoned me the moment that new family came to pick you up!"

"Catra, it wasn't like that at all!" Adora insisted.

"I'm more inclined to believe Adora," The ghost responded. "Adora clearly did everything she could... but she focused on her life, her future."

"She still abandoned me!" the older Catra growled. "I will never forgive her for that!"

Then Catra and the ghost watched as Adora glared at Young Catra. Future Catra looked away, realising what was going to happen next.

"If you're going to be like this, Catra," Adora stated. "Then... It's for the best that we don't see each other again," she sighed, turning away. "Clearly, you have some issues you need to work through. Goodnight... and merry Christmas."

Young Catra was fuming. Her best friend, the woman she loved, just told her they should stop seeing each other. She couldn't really process what was happening. In that heated moment, her primal instincts took over and she launched herself at Adora.

A solid THWACK! filled the warehouse, causing all the guests to stop the conversations and the band to silence their music. All eyes turned to the drama unfolding before them. Catra, Miss Octavia's bookkeeper, had just struck Adora, an up and coming royal guard.

"Get out..." Catra murmured, everything clenched tight, ready to snap.

Adora stood there, gobsmacked. Her cheek burned from where Catra slashed at her, three bloody claw marks now visible on her skin. "Catra..." she whimpered.

"Out...!" Catra repeated, harder.

"Catra," Adora repeated, finding her voice.

"Out!" Catra roared.

"What the hell has gotten into you?!" Adora pleaded.

"OUT!" Catra roared like a lioness.

Adora stood her ground. "If this is how you act to the woman you love when she decides to make her own life and be happy, then maybe you don't know what love is" she stated. "You've been nothing but selfish all night. Everything we've talked about had to be about you. It was always "Catra" this and "Catra" that. Even when I tried to explain all the bad stuff that I tried to fix so we could be together, you didn't want to hear it. If it doesn't revolve around you, then it doesn't matter, is that it? And since I didn't decide to spend every waking moment of my life making you happy, I guess I don't matter either, do I?"

Anything more Adora would have said was quickly silenced when Catra reached for a nearby bottle of wine. Her weapon in hand, Catra pulled her arm back, and threw the bottle with all her might, roaring "I said OUT!"

Adora ducked as the bottle flew close, making it sail violently over her skull. It shattered on a nearby wall, spilling wine and shards of glass everywhere. Gingerly, she picked herself up, glaring at the feline woman before her. With a huff, Adora only said "fine" and left. As she departed, she kept her eyes locked on Catra's, the two exchanging death glares at each other.

"And there it is," The ghost stated. "That was what fully cemented your hatred of the season."

"She... She deserved it," Future Catra tried to justify her younger self's action, tears streaming down her cheeks "She hurt me..."

"Did she really? Or did you only let yourself feel hurt by this?" The ghost wondered. "You only had yourself to blame here, Catra."

Finally having enough of her ghostly visitor, Catra launched herself at him, claws unsheathed. "Shut the fuck up!"

She tried to grab the ghost, but then he disappeared and the whole world filled with a white light and a cold wind again.

When Catra came to... she was back in her bedroom. She roared and growled, seething with pure rage. In her anger, she slashed up the blankets covering her bed.

Panting, she gathered herself, trying to rationalize what she just experienced. Somehow, she had been taken back to her past, to relive the worst moments of her life. But, why? What point was there in opening those old wounds? And what did that vision she had following her have to do with any of it? Was she going crazy?

She brushed it off, her head hurting. As she made her way back to bed, she noticed something. It was a small hourglass, ornate with golden coloured sand in the bottom globe. Picking it up, she saw small etchings on the globe. They read "you only have yourself to blame".

With a growl, she threw the hourglass, watching as it bounced off the wall it hit, and rolled towards her feet, unharmed. She glared at the offending glass, then kicked it away. "She hurt ME!" she shouted, more to reaffirm herself than to prove to anybody else. Her peace said, she trudged her way back under her covers, burying herself completely, and muttered a pitiable "she hurt me" before closing her eyes, and trying to return to sleep.

xXx

**Author's Note:** I recommend tissues for this chapter lol.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Adora paced around the hall in the royal palace, deeply concerned about the wellbeing of her friends. Queen Glimmer and King Bow had gone out into the city that night, disguised as common folk and Adora wished she had gone with them to protect them.

Even if it was the happiest time of year, Adora knew the streets of the city weren't the safest places to be at this time of night. But then again she was their personal guard, it was her duty to keep the royal couple of harm's way. But Glimmer had insisted that she and Bow be alone that night, despite Adora's protests.

And yet... Adora felt that she was feeling this way because of something else that had been playing on her thoughts of late, one that tended to rear its ugly, fur-covered head every time this time of year came around, one she thought she'd rid herself of years ago.

Catra.

Even after twelve years, Adora still kept thinking about her childhood friend. Yes, she was practically like family to Glimmer and Bow now... but Catra had been more than just a friend. She'd cared deeply about her and wished they hadn't been separated all those years ago when they were children.

But she remembered how badly she and Catra had fallen out when she met her at that party, how she was so angry at her... how she'd scratched her. She still had the scars on her cheek that Catra had given her. Everyone assumed she'd gotten the scar because of some heroic act, protecting the Queen from some would-be-assassin. She wondered how people would react if they knew the truth.

Eventually, she heard the sound of the palace doors open, Glimmer and Bow walking inside. As the doors closed, Glimmer pulled down the hood on her long grey cloak, revealing her gorgeous face to Adora. It was no secret that the Queen was considered one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom and Adora knew that Bow was one lucky man to be married to her.

"We're back!~" Glimmer chirped adorably.

"You miss us, Adora?" Bow wondered, hanging up both his and Glimmer's cloaks.

Adora walked over to them and sighed. "I'm just glad to see you two are safe."

"Of course we'd be safe," Glimmer insisted. "Honestly, Adora, your mom did not worry as much as you do about us."

"Only because I take my duty very seriously, Glimmer," Adora responded, but sighed, realising she was over-worrying as usual. "Did you two at least enjoy your night out?"

"Eh, more or less" Glimmer replied, sitting down on the nearby steps that led to the palace's upper floor, untying her shoes. Bow instantly dropped to his wife's feet to help her out of them, not wanting his beloved to exert herself slipping out of the rather uncomfortable peasant shoes she was wearing.

"Oh thank you, Bow," Glimmer said gratefully, wiggling her toes as they were freed from the uncomfortable leather.

"My pleasure hon" he replied, already undoing the other one.

Adora smiled, watching the royal couple adore each other so wholly, constantly gazing at one another with love and tenderness. Though she smiled watching them, it was a sad smile. Her mind began to dream up of a scenario like this, but with her and Catra.

She shook it out of her head: that chance was long gone now. Catra hated her and had pretty much made it clear that she never wanted to see her again. But still, something in Adora's heart yearned for the catgirl, something that hadn't gone away, even after all these years.

"You know, I'll never get why you insist on doing this every Christmas eve, Glimmer," Adora remarked. "You go out into the city on Christmas day anyway, leading the big party and giving out presents. Oh, and let us not forget the yuletide ball you hold on that night as well."

"Oh it's just a family tradition," Glimmer said. "Besides, I like to think my mom would be proud of me for being so committed to ensuring the happiness of the people. After all, I'd be a bad queen if I didn't know what problems or issues the people of my kingdom had."

"Your mother was indeed many things, Glimmer," Adora admitted. "But I think I remember her telling you not to push yourself so much."

A couple of years earlier, Glimmer's mother, Queen Angella, had passed away from sickness. Adora remembered how Glimmer had mourned her and on her deathbed, promised to succeed her as Queen, ruling Brightmoon just as well as she had. Adora had promised to Angella as well that she would take care of Glimmer.

And especially to make sure that Glimmer didn't overdo it as Queen. After all, she was still so young. She deserved to have fun, not to stress herself out.

"Hey, I am not pushing myself!" Glimmer insisted.

"And what about you Adora," Bow said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder in a friendly manner, "how're you enjoying your night so far?"

Adora was a little overwhelmed by the question, the thought of Catra still on her mind. "Fine!" The blonde answered quickly. "Just fine! Everything was fine! Nothing out of the ordinary! Nothing spectacular at all!" She then forced out a loud, long yawn. "Oh man, I am beat! Well, I'm going to turn in! Good night your majesties!"

"Adora Grayskull!" Glimmer barked. Adora froze: whenever the queen addressed her with her last name, she knew nothing good would come from it. "Come, here" she commanded. Adora turned, standing before the queen and king, an embarrassed crooked smile on her face. There was no way she was getting out of this: as captain of the royal guard, she had to obey the king and queen's commands, no matter how trivial.

Granted, they never ordered her around and made her do literally everything, they respected the power and responsibility that had been thrust upon them. But, that didn't mean they never used such power. They only did so when a situation was deemed too important to ignore. And this, to the king and queen, was one such moment.

"There is something up with you," Glimmer stated, sound rather concerned. "In fact... you get like this every single Christmas. Something always bothers you and you always feel distant... I think it's time you told us what's up."

"You don't need to know everything about me," Adora replied. "I have my secrets as well, you know."

"No, but you are my friend and I can't have my captain of the guard being distracted," Glimmer insisted. "Suppose someone tried to kill me at the ball tomorrow night and the woman charged with my life failed in her duties because her mind was somewhere else."

Adora sighed. Glimmer, at that moment, really was channelling her late mother. She was right. She had kept this from Glimmer all these years... but now the Pinkette had a right to now. Perhaps Adora wouldn't have to carry her burden alone any more, as she had done all this time.

"Alright... but not here."

Glimmer looked over at Bow, her silence telling him all he needed to know. "I'll be waiting in our room for you," he told her as he gently embraced her. Before parting, he gave her a heartfelt kiss, which she returned in full, their love on full display for all to see. When they broke, the two parties parted ways. Bow headed up the grand staircase to the royal bedchamber, while Glimmer lead Adora towards the library.

The library was still and quiet. A fire burned brightly in the central fireplace, casting warmth and a glow across the large sitting area within the centre of the room. There was no soul perusing the countless books that sat on the vast shelves, no maids dusting off said shelves, nobody to interrupt the queen and captain of the royal guard as they sat down in the nearby chairs of the sitting area.

"Now," Glimmer said firmly, "let's try this again: what is bugging you? Every Christmas since we met, you've been all mopey and distant. You get distracted easily, and your performance suffers for it. What's worse, you become so hostile as well, and snap at anybody who tries to be nice to you." Adora just looked away, scowling like a child being scolded. Glimmer sighed.

"Adora, you're my best friend," she said gently, reaching over and taking her friend's hand, "and I'm worried about you. This has nothing to do with your performance as my captain, but as my friend. So please, talk to me. What is really going on? Maybe I can help you."

Adora just looked away, taking a few moments to think before speaking again. "I... I'm thinking about someone. Someone I..." She didn't know how best to word it. "Someone I used to know."

"A friend?" Glimmer asked gently. She knew this was a touchy subject for Adora, judging by how much she was tensing up. Glimmer didn't know much of Adora's past, at least from before she was adopted by General Grayskull and her wife. She knew she came from an orphanage... but that was it.

Adora nodded, tensely. "You could say that," she replied, collecting herself. Taking a deep breath, Adora spoke. "This... friend and I had been friends since we were little. We grew up in the same orphanage for many years, and always had each other's back. We were practically like sisters back then."

Adora sighed. "So imagine the pain I felt when the General and her wife came to adopt me one Christmas and didn't want to adopt her as well. It broke me. I cried and pleaded, begging my parents to adopt her as well. Unfortunately, they had already made up their mind, and were leaving with me. I cried out to her, hoping she'd wake up in time and stop them from taking me away, wailing like my life depended on it. But she never came..." She sniffled, trying to hold back tears.

"I'm sorry..." Glimmer said. "Juliet was a good woman... but I can see why she would have said no. From the stories I heard, you were quite a handful on your own."

"Only because I missed my friend!" Adora insisted. "But... that's not really the point. I did see my friend again, eventually. I met up with her a few years later. Do you remember when my mother was retiring as captain of the guard and I wanted to take her place?""

"Yes, you were so focused on your training after that point. Juliet retired and you joined the guards. Two years later, you made captain. But right before you joined up... that's also when you got your scar..." Glimmer's eyes widened. "Wait, is this related to how you got your scar?"

Adora nodded. "I met up with my friend shortly before then, sought her out, tried to make up with her... but she was so angry and blamed me for everything that had happened. I tried to reason with her... and yet she gave me this." She pointed to the scar. "Every Christmas I'm always thinking, 'Where did I go wrong?', 'Was it something I did?' or, 'Was she also to blame for why we couldn't patch things up?"

The Queen held Adora's hand a little tighter, easing her tension. "People change, Adora," she said simply, but gently. "You tried your best to reach out to your friend, and you should be proud of that. You've always been such a kind person, and I'm sure your friend was the same way. But, it had clearly been years since you two last saw each other. So much time had passed. Each of you went through different experiences, and that can change a person. I mean, look at you: when you first joined the guard, you couldn't hold a weapon to save your life, and you tripped over everything. Now, you're the captain of my personal guard. You're brave, strong, determined, everything a captain should be. Not only that, but you're also my best friend. Hell, it's because of you I met Bow and we got married!" she quipped.

"I know," Adora murmurs, trying to keep herself together. "But, I just can't help but wonder... what if she hadn't been taken away from me... what if I had found her sooner."

Glimmer picked herself up, walked over to her obviously upset friend, and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Adora broke, falling into her friend's arms and crying. She sobbed and sniffled, finally letting all of her pain explode out of her. As she cried, Glimmer petted her head, gently. The pair shared no words at the moment: there were no words to share. All that was needed, was the comfort of a friend.

"I'm sorry, " Adora admitted. "I feel like an idiot."

"Don't be," Glimmer said softly. As the two of them pulled away, the pink-haired woman wiped the tears from Adora's eyes. "What was her name anyway? Maybe I could look her up?"

"Oh I already know where she is, you don't need to," Adora smiled. "Trust me... it's best if you don't bother."

"Adora," the queen said sternly, taking her friend's hands. "Tell me."

Sighing, Adora told her. "Weaver. Catra Weaver."

"Wait," Glimmer spoke. "As in... Catra Weaver, that greedy young woman who owns the money lending business downtown? That's who you used to be friends with?!" Her jaw dropped. "I... I didn't realise... wow, that really does explain a whole bunch doesn't it."

"I bet it does," Adora stated. "Her attacking me was what got her fired from her last job... though she got hired by that Hordak guy right afterwards though. He clearly didn't care that he had a psycho cat girl on his payroll." She sighed. "Sorry... it just still hurts me so much."

"I know and I'm sorry," Glimmer apologised, before she remembered something that had happened to her and Bow that evening, something that had stuck with her. "Wait a second... I... I think I actually bumped into her tonight... quite literally."

"Huh?" Adora asked. "You did?"

"Yeah, she was coming down the street and bumped straight into Bow and me," Glimmer explained. "We pretended to be a couple asking for directions and she told us to, and I quote "fuck off and get out of her way.'"

Adora smiled sadly, and yet there was a hint of nostalgia to it. "Yeah, that sounds like Catra. She always did have quite a potty mouth, eheh..."

A sudden sobering thought hit Adora: Catra, her once best friend, the woman who outright stated all those years ago that she loved her, had more or less assaulted and insulted the king and queen. She paled. Assaulting the king or queen was a death sentence. A death sentence SHE will have to carry out! She began to hyperventilate, panic gripping every fibre of her being.

"Hey, cool your horses," Glimmer insisted. "I'm not gonna order you to kill her... but that woman does have quite an attitude."

Adora let out a long, relieved breath. "I am so sorry about her," Adora said. "Really, deep down, she's honestly a good person. She's just... I don't know, lost, maybe?" she said hesitantly. She really hoped Catra wouldn't be punished for this.

"Don't be," Glimmer assured her. "Just... know that it wasn't your fault she was like that. If she does have a spark of goodness in her, she needs to find that on her own."

"I guess you're right," Adora accepted.

"Now, let's get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow," Glimmer insisted. "And I need my captain of the guard focused and alert at all times in case there's trouble."

Adora nodded, standing up. She felt a lot better now that she'd gotten that off her chest to Glimmer. With renewed resolve, she saluted the Queen. "I won't let you down, your majesty."

xXx

Later that very evening, Catra was disturbed from her sleep again, and again by her own bodily cravings. She woke up in the middle of the night feeling quite hungry. Catra didn't know what time it was, only that it was very late and she really should have been in bed.

But she was so hungry... a midnight snack wouldn't hurt. She stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen, quickly lighting a candle. After quickly scouring through her cupboards for something to eat, Catra found a little box that Scorpia had left on her desk a few days prior.

_"What are these?!" Catra remembered demanding Scorpia when she found the box._

_"Oh, my wife baked them!" She remembered Scorpia explaining. Then she remembered her opening the box, revealing it was full of freshly baked cookies in the shape of items related to the season. A snowflake, a sleight, reindeer and even a snowman. "Aren't they adorable?! This one is even a little snowman! Look, Perfuma even found orange icing to use for his nose!"_

_"Yeah, if you're into that sort of crap," Catra growled._

_"Oh just try one!" Scorpia insisted, as she always did. "You'll love them!"_

Catra grumbled to herself, knowing she had only taken the box to shut Scorpia up. That woman could be insufferable sometimes. However, Catra did like cookies. She thought about Adora again, how they'd raid the orphanage's cookie jar when no one was looking.

Catra shook her head suddenly, discouraging the thought of Adora out of her head. That woman meant nothing to her now... and that damned spirit hadn't done anything to convince her otherwise. It had only brought those wounds to the surface again... and Catra didn't want to be emotionally compromised when she was back at work the day after.

Opening the box, Catra took out one of the cookies, made in the shape of a reindeer. It even had red icing to distinguish its nose. It disgusted the catgirl a bit to see the sight of such a festive animal but she didn't care. She was tired and hungry and the cookie was food.

Chowing down on the cookie, Catra found them... actually quite delicious, but she wasn't going to admit that to Scorpia. She was too embarrassed to admit that one of Scorpia's attempts to cheer her up had actually worked. As she helped herself to more of the cookies, she soon downed nearly the entire box in one go.

"My my, look what you're indulging yourself with," a deep, feminine voice said, suddenly, making Catra jump. "How embarrassing. The infamous Catra Weaver, the woman who hates Christmas.. indulging on festive cookies."

Catra turned around with her mouthful, her eyes widening as she saw a woman sitting on her kitchen table. The woman had the same spectral glow as Hordak and the other ghost had. She had dark skin and flowing blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes to match. She almost looked like Adora... almost. She was wearing a flowing white and gold robe with a tiara on her head.

 _Oh great, not this again_ , Catra thought, before she swallowed. "I take it you're another one of the ghosts?"

"You assume correct," the spirit replied. "I am she who is the ghost of Christmas present. I represent this time of year and this date in particular, all the joys of this season that are going on around the world at this very moment."

"And let me guess, I'm supposed to learn something from you?" Catra wondered. "Because if that's what this is, forget it. Your friend with the hourglass only reminded me of how crap my life was. I doubt I'd care about any of the wisdom you want to offer me."

"Well, aren't you the stubborn one," the spirit remarked. "But I'm afraid this is something you cannot refuse. Do you not remember Hordak?"

Catra gulped down her current piece of cookie she was chewing on, feeling a sense of dread at the thought of herself being dead and in chains as her former partner had been. No... she didn't want to end up that way, but at that moment, part of her was trying to deny that any of this was real, that this was all some bad dream.

And yet, she decided it probably wasn't best to provoke one of these all-powerful spirits.

"Fine," Catra reluctantly agreed

"Oh wonderful!" The ghost stated jovially, relieved that Catra was finally playing her tune. "Now, come on, we haven't got all day. Christmas doesn't wait for anyone, unfortunately." Without waiting for a reply, the spirit grabbed Catra's hand and dragged her towards the door of her house.

"Can't I finish my cookies first?!" Catra exclaimed with her mouthful as she was dragged away.

"There's no time, Christmas is near! We must hurry!" she replied, adamant in her mission.

As they arrived at the door, the spirit channelled magic through itself... and suddenly, as she and Catra walked out of the house, Catra could see that it was Christmas Morning. The streets were packed with people... yet no one seemed to notice her or the spirit.

"What... What is this?" Catra asked.

"Is it not obvious?" The spirit asked. "It's Christmas day!"

"No way," Catra stated, not believing what was right before her. "No! Way! That's impossible" she stated adamantly. "It was still dark when you dragged me, against my will I might add, through my house and into the street! Oh, and did I happen to mention that we WALKED THROUGH A VERY SOLID WALL TO END UP HERE!? How did you even do that!?"

The spirit only smiled at her, a kind, warm smile that a mother would give to their child. With a soft pat on the top of her head, and a subtle wink, the spirit once again took Catra's hand, and, leading her deeper into the hustle and bustle of the busy streets, simply replied with a sly "Christmas magic."

xXx

**Author's Note:** We're at the halfway point! Just three more chapters to go!


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

Catra was smiling. She didn't know why, but she was so happy right now. She couldn't stop smiling as she watched all the hustle and bustle in the street. All around her, she only saw goodness: strangers giving food to the downtrodden, families who had separated coming together, even the giving of the humblest items were met with elation. The happiness she was feeling was just so infectious. Wherever she turned, she saw another act of goodwill. And what most amazed her; nobody asked for anything in return for their actions. All their charity was pro bono!

"Beautiful, isn't it," the ghost of Christmas present asked her, watching her reactions. She couldn't help but smile: maybe there was still hope for Catra yet. Her honest smile from seeing the milk of human kindness flow freely soothed her soul. She only hoped that this happiness would remain until the end. But that would be in the future; her place was in the present.

"Yeah... It is rather pretty, " Catra reluctantly agreed. She genuinely was feeling happy about the season but... She felt wrong to be so happy. None of this was relating to her money, what she prioritised most of all. And yet it felt like this happiness was like a disease, deeply contagious.

The spirit walked beside her. "As you can see, this is the happiest day of the year. Everything and everyone is joyful, regardless of their circumstances."

"Even those who are in pain or suffering?" Catra wondered.

"For them, this season gives them hope and the drive to keep living."

"And nobody demands compensation for any of it?" Catra asked, still trying to wrap her head around it. Why was she so happy right now? She wasn't at home, in her cold, empty manor, counting her money in complete silence, alone. As she thought about her own Christmas traditions more, and comparing it to what she was seeing around her, surprisingly, all the thoughts of her own Christmas left her freezing.

"Why would they?" the spirit asked. "On this day, the joy given by those who give are their own reward. It is a payment to the soul, and to the soul, all are equal. We can be rich or poor, young or old, lords or peasants, friend or enemy, on Christmas day, all are equal."

A sudden procession of trumpet playing caught everyone's attention. Cheers of joy rang out through the street, as people of all walks of life made their way towards the procession. Many even helped those that could not make it on their own, the lame and elderly being guided and carried. The ghost smiled, shepherding Catra towards the growing throng as well. "I believe this will prove my point," she said.

In the town square, Catra and her ghostly companion took sight of a great gathering in front of a very large Christmas tree that had been created with magic, dazzling, pink and sparkling. There was only one woman in the kingdom who had the power to create such a feat of magic.

And that woman, Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon, was at the base of the tree, leading the celebrations. She was currently playing with some of the younger children of the town, while her husband king Bow was giving away presents to some of the other citizens.

And to Bow's left... was Adora.

Catra looked away as she saw her. Adora wasn't doing anything, merely just keeping watch of the proceedings. She hadn't really changed much physically after all these years, still the same beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair. However, Catra knew nothing had changed between her and Adora. She still hated her.

"Ah, there she is," The spirit stated. "Seems like Adora is enjoying herself."

As Catra noticed how smartly Adora was dressed, she couldn't help but feel some sort of... pride for her. She'd achieved what she wanted, to be the captain of the royal guard, but as for Catra, she was starting to realise she didn't feel satisfied with her life.

But the catgirl wanted to push those thoughts away. Adora left her and she shouldn't have felt anything more towards her... but was that true? Catra... did feel moved to see Adora again, clearly happy with her life.

"Something on your mind?" the spirit wondered.

"And what if there is?" Catra snapped. "Pretty sure you already know it."

"You wish you were with her," The ghost stated. She looked at Adora. "You regret what happened between you two."

"No... she chose her life, I chose mine. She means nothing to me... not anymore."

"Is that so?" she asks, ushering her closer to Adora, literally passing through the crowd. With each step closer to her, Catra fought harder against the spirit's grasp. What Adora and her had was dead, plain and simple. No amount of so-called 'Christmas magic' would bring it back. Whatever this spirit was planning wasn't going to work. She assured herself it wasn't going to work: it was too late to try and fix anything. But, somewhere, deep inside her, there flickered the slightest ember of a feeling she hadn't felt in so long. She felt... hope.

The pair finally reached Adora, a hair's width away from her. "Reach out to her," the spirit said, taking Catra's hand. "Touch her. Let her feelings and memories take over you. If by the end of it, you still feel nothing for her, and affirm what you two had is no more, than I will depart. I shall return you to your bed, and this whole night will be nothing more than a dream."

Catra trembled: she was too scared. What would she find if she did as the spirit said? Would she learn some horrid truth? Hear more painful lies? Would she be forgotten to her? It was far too much to bear so she turned away. "I can't." she whimpered, holding herself. "We've changed so much."

The spirit took Catra's hand, gently guiding it to Adora's shoulder. "You know, Christmas has been time and again been called the season of miracles," she told her gently as she rested the feline woman's hand on the love of her life's shoulder. "Let this be your miracle, Catra."

Adora turned, for a moment thinking she felt someone touch her. "Catra?" she quietly asked, looking through the woman she loved.

Catra gasped. "Can she… see me?" she tearfully asked, hope in her voice.

The spirit shook her head sadly. "We are but shadows this Christmas. We cannot be seen nor heard. But those close to us, those who hold us dearly in their hearts, can feel us."

Adora sighed, seeing her oldest friend wasn't there. To her, she had felt something that reminded her of Catra's soft touch, how the catgirl would cheer her up when they were children. Returning to her post, she let her mind wander. _Another Christmas and I still haven't seen her_ , she thought.

Catra was startled, jumping back slightly. "What was that?" she asked.

"I am allowing you to sense her thoughts," the spirit replied.

"Why?" Catra asked. "Why would I want to listen to her thoughts?"

"So that you may learn the truth" the spirit stated simply. "Now, be silent" it ordered, "and listen closely."

 _I should have gone with Bow and Glimmer last night_ , Adora thought to herself. _That could have been my only opportunity to see her again. But, would it have really changed anything? From what Glimmer told me, she was still so spiteful. And for what? Just because I got caught up in something I couldn't control? That I moved on from it? Taking control of my life? That I finally found something for myself, something that didn't involve her? Who does she think she is? We're supposed to be adults damn it, yet she's throwing temper tantrums like some spoiled child who had her toy taken away from her! All she's ever cared about was herself, even when we were little! It always had to be about her, and I was just some afterthought!_

"Wait... hang on, I bumped into the king and queen last night?!" Catra realised out loud.

"Listen," the spirit insisted. "Worry not about that now."

Catra grumbled, before focusing and listening to Adora's trail of thought again.

 _She's the most selfish person I've ever known!_ Adora screamed in her head. _In fact, I take it all back! I'm glad I didn't go with them last night! Because if I did, and I saw that selfish, petty, greedy, inconsiderate, narrow-minded miser, I'd...I'd slap her silly!_

The catgirl growled, claws bared, ready to shred her so-called 'friend' to ribbons. If this was what the spirit wanted her to hear, then all she had succeeded in was making Catra hate the woman standing in front of her even more. How dare she! After everything they had gone through as children, this was how she repaid her;with contempt?! Shadow or not, Catra readied to pounce on Adora, to really give her a beating that will make clawing her cheek look like a bug bite!

 _I mean, it's not like I was her only friend in the orphanage!_ Adora anguished in her thoughts. _How I used to give her my portions of food when she was still hungry! How I used to protect her from bullies! How I would be the only person to play with her! How we kept each other's secrets! How we promised to always be together! ESPECIALLY NOT WHEN I ACTED LIKE HELL AROUND MY ADOPTED PARENTS JUST SO THEY WOULD SEND ME BACK THERE AND WE WOULD BE TOGETHER AGAIN!_

Catra stumbled, not believing what she just heard. "W-what?" she asked shakily. "Adora... loved me back... all this time?"

Her former friend sighed. _Oh who am I kidding?_ she asked herself. _I can't hate her, I never could. I miss her too much to hate her. I've missed her ever since they took me away from her. Ever since I kicked, screamed, and cried, begging my adopted parents not to take me away from her. I even bit Juliet's hand, just so she could let go and I could run to her. But Casta caught me and dragged me out of the orphanage. I cried out Catra's name so loud, I'm sure the entire orphanage heard me._

Catra shuddered. "I remember. Somebody was calling my name that Christmas morning..." she murmurs softly. "At the time, I thought it was the care staff, calling me down to breakfast." She fell to her knees, tears flooding her eyes. "I...I didn't know..." she stuttered.

The blonde stroked the scar on her cheek. _Even if I can't go back to you, Catra... ironically, I'll have this to remember you by._ She chuckled a little, albeit sadly. _Funny, she never would have given me this, if I just asked her to apply to the royal academy to begin with. With her intellect, she would have had no problem being the royal treasurer. I was already on track to becoming a royal guard, and could vouch and sponsor her for her lessons. Glimmer and her mom of course would have allowed it: being friends with the princess does have its advantages._

Adora sighed. _But it's too late,_ she bemused. _The friend I had was gone, and I'll never get her back._ Clutching her chest, she let a single tear fall. _And what's worse, I feel for her now, what she felt for me all those years ago._

Catra slowly walked up to Adora, hand outstretched in some in a vain attempt to touch her. She had to: she had to hold this goddess of a woman again. Just like she did when they were children. But, in all her attempts to touch her, hold her, express any feeling she still had for her, they just passed through Adora, like cold winter wind through empty streets.

"I love you, Catra" Adora whispered, letting another tear fall.

"I love you too," Catra said, crying for her lost love before she pulled her hand away then walked away from the spirit.

"Alright, I've seen enough," Catra insisted. "Can you take me back home now?"

"Why are you in such a hurry?" The spirit wondered.

"I... I don't want to be here right now," Catra stated, urgently. "I... I just wanna go back to bed."

"No... there is more you need to see, my dear," said the ghostly woman. "Much more indeed."

"More?" Catra repeated, hurt in her voice. "More!? What more is there!?" she yelled. "I've lost the woman I love because of my stupid ego! I got so wrapped up in my own hurt, I didn't even bother to understand what kinds of Hell Adora had to endure! I pushed away the ONE person in the world who made me happy, and for WHAT!? To get back at her?! Show her that I don't need her?! Show off how much better my life is because it doesn't involve her?! Hide from the one person in the world out of shame for what I've become?! I always thought that I'd be better off without her, but the truth is, she's better off without me! There, I said it: I'm a horrible person! Everybody hates me! And the only person who loved me, STILL loves me, will be better off without me!" Catra sighs. "Nobody loves me, and why should they?" she ruefully said.

 _Catra would love a new hat,_ a voice echoed in her head, _her old one's looking a little tattered. Just need to find one that looks as no-nonsense as she is. I mean, after all: that's what I love about her._

"That voice" Catra whispered, quickly turning every direction to find out where the said voice was coming from. A few quick turns, and she spotted the distinct figure of a mountain of a woman with claws and a scorpion tail, wrapped up in one of the biggest, fluffiest coats Catra had ever seen.

"Scorpia?" she questioned, running towards her employee. Phasing through the crowd around her, Catra stood beside the muscular woman, watching as she thoroughly and meticulously inspected every hat. She turned to the spirit as it too joined the arachnid woman's side. "How?" she asked.

The spirit smiled, and giggled. "Season of miracles" she simply said, turning the feline's attention back to the arachnid's.

 _No, No, that one's no good for her_ , Scorpia thought, browsing more hats in the shop window. _Come on, Scorpia. Maybe this will finally be the thing that makes her realise she needs to open up and be your friend... and maybe give you a raise? Okay, let's not get too crazy._

 _Still, getting her something nice wouldn't hurt_ , Scorpia thought as she looked over a top hat. _Eh, too stuffy_.

She turned her attention back towards the rest of the hats. As she browsed the many caps that lined the window, she allowed her mind to wander. _It's not that I really want a raise or anything, I couldn't care less about that. I just really want her to know that there's somebody out there that's thinking about her. She always gets so depressed this time of year, so maybe a little kindness would cheer her up. I mean, I've only known since I started working for her, how long was it again? Two years?_

"Three," Catra corrected.

 _But I know there's good in her_ , Scorpia mused. _I mean, if there wasn't, she wouldn't give me Christmas off to spend it with my wife and children._

 _Speaking of…_ Scorpia then said in her thoughts looking up at the nearby clock tower. She bristled as she saw the time, her tail lashing in a panic. "Oh no, I'm late!" she exclaimed, hurriedly pushing her way past the gathered crowd.

"Late? For what?" Catra asked in confusion.

"Let us see, shall we?" Her companion replied. The ghost of Christmas present snapped her fingers and she and Catra were instantly transported in a flash of light, disorientating Catra. When the two reappeared, they were in the dining room of a rather dilapidated house.

Catra heaved, clutching her stomach. She glared up at her ethereal chaperone. "Warn me next time you guys try something like that!" she groused. Finally getting her bearings, and keeping the contents of her stomach in her stomach, Catra looked out of a nearby window, wondering where this house was. It was a shabby little street, houses derelict and full of holes. Most of them appeared to be on the very verge of collapse, all they needed was a stiff wind. "Where are we now?" she asked.

"Does this street not look familiar to you?" the spirit asked. "It should; this is the house in which your employee Scorpia lives."

"Scorpia? She lives here? In this dump!?" Catra exclaimed. There was no way her most valued employee would live in such deplorable conditions. Her pays were far too high for such standards. Granted, they weren't her own rate of pay, but they should have been more than enough for a decent home

"Sadly, she does" the spirit stated matter of factly. "With most of her money being used to care for a single member of her family, the rest of them, herself included, are forced to live in such squalor. Granted, if a certain someone had given her a raise or two in her career..."

Catra just cast a hard look at her, before returning her gaze to the home. As much as she felt Scorpia annoyed her, part of her felt bad that Scorpia and her family were forced to live in such conditions. She deserved better, especially since she was working for Catra.

A woman then entered the room, with long blonde hair and dark skin wearing a lovely pink dress. She hummed a tune as she prepared the table for Christmas lunch, joyful about her day. Catra's heart stopped when she saw how utterly beautiful the blonde woman was.

As the woman hummed her tune, she used magic to sprout delightful little flowers and plants all over the room, brightening up the rather empty and plain surroundings.

"Wait is that Scorpia's wife?" Catra asked. "Wow... I had no idea she was so gorgeous... or that she was a dryad for that matter."

"Perfuma," the spirit said, watching as Perfuma lead a veritable parade of young girls into the dining room."And their many children: Poppy, Sage, Juniper, Bloom, Flora and Fauna." Looking over the small horde of half girl/half scorpion hybrids, the spirit murmured "huh."

"What?" Catra asked, trying to comprehend how such a large family could live comfortably in such a tiny, dishevelled, and more than likely condemned house.

"One of the children is missing," she said, counting them all again to make sure.

Just then, the door creaked open and a very young girl stepped into the room. She looked a lot paler than her siblings and was clearly using a small walking cane to remain upright. She stumbled forward, trying to make it to the table to join her sisters with what little strength she had.

"Ah yes, Petunia," The spirit stated. "Poor girl. Such weak health compared to her sisters."

Catra said nothing, too taken in by the frail creature before her. She was so small, easily the smallest of all her sisters, and her thin body was gaunt and frail-looking. Her short silver hair fell to her shoulders, and looked so thin and wispy compared to her sisters'. Her skin was so pale, it almost looked like she was made of paper. Even the carapace that covered her clawed hands looked duller than her sisters' and so brittle. Her tail hung limply behind her, dragging across the ground as she hobbled after the rest of her family. Despite all her frailties though, her deep green eyes shown with such spirit.

"Poppy, could you be a dear and help your sister Bloom stroke the fire?" Perfuma asked of her daughter, to which they both acted. The pair worked together, Bloom striking her tail against one of the oldest daughter's claws to provide sparks. All the while, Poppy used her free claw to split some logs that were stacked near the fireplace, making kindling. When enough kindling was made and stacked, and a sizable spark glowed, the pair gently blew into the spark, fanning it into a nice, sizable flame.

"Thank you, little ones," Perfuma said as she made her way to the small stove squared away in the nearby kitchen. Opening it, she smiled: the fire inside was still burning, and all the food she had prepared earlier was nearly ready. All that was needed was the main course: a special surprise she had scrounged and saved up to buy today. Calling upon her friends and allies, the plants, she asked a few vines of ivy to reach into the storage shed behind their small home. In no time, the vines returned with a whole goose.

"You bought a goose?" Juniper asked in surprise. "How'd you get it? Aren't gooses too ess-pen-sive?"

Perfuma smiled. "Usually, yes, gooses, or 'geese' as the proper plural is, are pretty expensive. But, I figured since it is Christmas, this family deserved a little indulgence." Turning towards the questioning daughter, she asked: "think you can be mommy's helper and watch it to make sure it doesn't burn?"

Little Juniper saluted. "You can count on me, mommy!" she stated with pride, taking a stand beside the fireplace. As soon as the goose was placed on the turning rod, she slowly began to turn it, making sure no part of the bird got more heat than the rest of it.

Perfuma cast a quick glance around her, making sure she wasn't being watched. Poppy and Bloom were busy tending to the fire, Juniper busied herself with dinner, and Sage was distracting Petunia by playing with their dolls. Most of them were perfectly distracted, and gave her an ample opportunity. Gingerly, she pulled out the pan of stuffing she had been cooking, and picked out as many chestnuts as she could find, before popping them into her mouth.

"Mommy!" a pair of voices cried out behind her. She quickly gulped down her treat, nearly choking on a chestnut or two, before turning to see the scorning looks of her twin daughters. "Are you eating" "all the chestnuts" "from the" "Christmas stuffing" "again?" they asked, each twin finishing the others thought before speaking as one.

"No, no! Of course not!" Perfuma denied. "I was just, um, taste testing them!" She straightened herself out before returning the pan to the oven. "A good chef must taste test their dishes to make sure they're perfect. That is a very important lesson to remember." She turned to one of the twins. "If you want to be a good wife and mother, you need to strive for perfection. And never forget that, Flora."

The girl sighed. "But I'm Fauna, Mommy," the twin said, her sister stating "I'm Flora!"

Perfuma turned between the two girls. She hated when this happened. "Oh, right!" she corrected, "I'm sorry for getting you two mixed up again, Fauna."

"Flora!" the girl corrected.

With a defeated sigh, Perfuma shooed her twin daughters away, asking them to set the table for dinner. It may take a while still, but she told them it would be a nice surprise for their mother.

Little Petunia walked over to her mother. "Mommy is there anything I can do?"

Perfuma smiled. Despite being so frail, her precious Petunia was just so full of spirit. Kneeling down to her level, she brushed some of the wispy silver hair out of her face. "You have the most important job of all your sisters," she told her, "you're our Christmas lookout. You get to be the first one to know when your mother is coming home, and inform the rest of us. If she comes home early, you have to keep her distracted until we're finished making dinner. Think you can do that?"

The little girl nodded. "Sure can!"

The ghost sighed, as the tiny hybrid girl waddled over to the window to look out onto the street. The ghost could see the spirit within the young girl but could see how it was just as fragile and faint as the rest of her. "So full of life... One wonders how much of it she has left."

"She... She's gonna die, " Catra realised.

"As must all things," the spirit said mournfully. "Sadly, that is as of yet to come. We must concern ourselves with the present. Oh, and do you remember what you said before, when I am to give you a warning the next time I am to jump us to another location?"

"Yeah?" Catra said, hesitantly.

"Well," the ghost said, "this is your warning."

With another snap of her fingers, the ghost and Catra were shot forward in time, hours had passed in seconds. When they arrived at their desired time, Catra clutched her stomach again, and covered her mouth to prevent from puking. When the queasiness finally passed, she glared at the ghost. "Don't you EVER do that again!" she barked.

The two of them were still in the dining room of Scorpia and Perfuma's home, with the table more or less ready for Christmas Lunch. The food was laid out on the table and Perfuma's goose was fully cooked now. All of the family were eagerly awaiting Scorpia to return home.

"She's home! She's home!" a small voice called out from near the front door, full of enthusiasm. With as much strength as she could muster, little Petunia opened the door wide enough for her to slip through, hobbling out onto the streets. "Momma's home!" she cried out, running as fast as her frail body could carry her. "Momma! Momma!" she cried out, catching the attention of the fast-approaching Scorpia.

Catra walked through the wall, onto the cold street as she saw Scorpia near her home, with her littlest daughter running up to her.

Scorpia looked up the street, the small voice of her youngest daughter instantly catching her attention. "Cutie Patootie!' she exclaimed, arms outstretched as she instantly scooped up the tiny child. Mother and child laughed and spun in the street, the winter chill not touching them in such happiness.

Suddenly, Petunia began to cough hoarsely, her whole body rattling with each hack. She moaned, every part of her body in horrible agony. Scorpia panicked for a moment, holding her daughter close to her and stroking her hair with the tip of her pincer.

Gently placing her brow against her daughter's, Scorpia quickly recoiled. Petunia was burning up. "Oh, you poor thing!" she whispered, clutching the now shivering child close. "You overworked yourself, again."

"I..." Petunia whimpered, her voice scratchy and weak, mixed in with the occasional cough, "I wanted to see you again, so badly."

Scorpia gently shushed her daughter, holding her close to stave off the winter night's chill. Kneeling down, she picked up her cane, gently handing it back to her. "It's alright, sweet girl" she assured, "I really wanted to see you too. Now, come on, let's get you inside before you catch a cold." Without a word, the little girl just nodded, still shivering. Scorpia sighed sadly: another Christmas where she worried about their youngest baby. Of all her many children, Petunia was the one that had taken up the greatest part of her heart. She loved them all equally, of course, but there was just something about this little fighter that won her over. But, she couldn't muse on that now: she needed to get her inside before she got worse. Fortunately for her, they weren't too far away from their home, so getting inside and warming her up wouldn't be a worry.

Catra just watched. For the first time in many years... She actually felt bad for someone. Part of her felt responsible for how sick that young girl was. If Scorpia and Perfuma perhaps had a bit more money... maybe they could live in a better home and their daughter could get the proper medical help she needed.

"Come, " The spirit said. "You have seen enough."

Catra nodded. Seeing such a poor sight proved too much for her, and she needed to move on. She... she needed time to think things through. But she was now deeply concerned about Petunia, that poor frail girl.

"Spirit, before we leave," she spoke, hesitant to finish, "I need to know: what's going to happen to Petunia?... When will she die?"

"That is for the future, I'm afraid. My place is the present," She said, leading Catra along. "However, if the course is to proceed as it does, I foresee an empty chair by the fire holding a lonely cane."

At that moment, the spirit's voice changed from a soothing deep tone to a more sinister note. "But, if she's going to die, she'd better do it quickly! There's already too many like her around!"

Catra was taken aback. That horrible voice... was her voice. The very same voice she used to scold Scorpia with every day of the week. But while she did sound like that... she knew she'd never want anyone to die. Even she wasn't that cruel... was she?

"I... I never said anything like that, " Catra said.

"No, but you thought it, deep in your subconscious, " the spirit stated. "You carry such bitterness and ignorance... You are blind to the suffering you cause."

She didn't argue against it. If anything, her silence was her conceding to the spirit's statement, taking it as truth. Seeing and hearing so much on this night had humbled her, showing the depths of her wickedness and ignorance. She had been so wrong about everything she thought she knew, and was now paying the price for it.

As the pair departed, the world around them fell into darkness. They walked through this void of darkness for a while, until returning to the world near a small chapel, the stars twinkling in the pitch-black sky above them. All the while, Catra noticed something, disturbing.

"Are you... aging?" she asked. Throughout their journey, the spirit had seemed to her to grow older, her entire form growing paler and translucent, almost like was fading right before her eyes.

"The present does not last forever, " the spirit stated. "Soon I will be born anew when tomorrow comes."

"So, does that mean you'll still guide me?" Catra asked, hopeful. "You've been my best teacher so far, I can't imagine you leaving me."

"No... My time has come, " the spirit replied, growing older by the second. Her blonde hair was turning pure white and her skin becoming wrinkled. Her body withered and decayed in the faint light of the nearby lantern. Catra just watched in horror, as the spirit's form disintegrated before her eyes, her ashes being carried in an ominous wind.

"Fare... thee well..." a voice said, being carried by the wind.

And then, Catra was alone. Left near the small chapel, surrounded by many lonely graves, she sat down on a nearby bench, her thoughts on what she had learned being her only company. She mused on these lessons she had learned, evaluating what she thought to be the truth, to what truly was. All the while, the chapel's bell rang out, signaling the hour of midnight.

_BONG! BONG! BONG!_

xXx

**Author's Note:** Second to last chapter tomorrow... and It'll be the saddest yet. Again, have your tissues ready.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Catra hadn't gone back to sleep that night. Instead, she just laid in bed, waiting for the final spirit to arrive. Seeing the last one just crumble into dust like that had scarred her... for the first time in years, she felt scared. She felt fear, a deep fear that was all-consuming.

She also found she had a lot on her mind. The two previous visits had made her start to question her very being, why she hated Christmas and everything about this time of year... and why she needed to try and make a change in her life, possibly for the better.

But she still wasn't entirely convinced. Perhaps she'd try and start by giving Scorpia a little raise, a bit extra so she could take care of her daughter, but she wasn't going to change completely. She was stubborn, that was for certain. And then she thought about Adora.

Looking into her thoughts, she really had seen that Adora had been telling the truth, she hadn't lied or meant to abandon her... but after all that had happened between them, especially Catra hitting her... well, Catra knew it would likely be impossible to go back to her.

They'd changed too much and even now that she understood... she felt that it was wrong to try and open that old wound again. Especially with her temper problems.

Just then, Catra heard the sound of the wind howling outside again, feeling the cold shivers go into her blanket. She huddled up in the blankets again, trying to stay warm but to no avail. She groaned under the sheets, realising she'd gave to get up and close the clearly open window.

 _Damn, I thought I shut that window when I got back into bed_ , Catra thought, only to roll onto her other side... and see that the window was indeed closed. The wind was coming from somewhere or rather someone else.

And at the foot of Catra's bed, the catgirl found herself face to face with the final of her ghostly visitors... and this one was the creepiest of them yet. A clearly feminine from wearing dark red robes that almost appeared black in the darkness. The being wore a hood, but what unsettled Catra more was the being's face being covered by a mask with two distinct white eyes that seemed to glow.

"And who are you?" Catra asked.

The spirit didn't reply. It stood motionless, the trails of its robes and cape floating and swaying from side to side in an unsettling manner.

"Not the talkative sort, are you?" Catra remarked. "I'm not gonna stop you... if you have something you need to show me, go right ahead... I won't resist."

The spirit nodded, raising its hands and moving them in a strange, ritualistic manner. Catra and the spirit were surrounded by a current of strange black and red clouds, Catra holding herself as the clouds sparked with lightning. Just where was this spirit going to take her. The sound of the lightning deafened her ears as she and the spirit were surrounded by the strange vortex.

When the vortex faded, Catra and her ghostly companion found themselves in a street on Christmas, in none other than Brightmoon. Catra was confused, what were they doing here? Was this the night before?

She recognised the street though, the street opposite where her own place of business was. Then Catra noticed that a few of the shops on the street were different. She didn't remember there being a tailor's shop named "Netossa's" on this street, nor had there been one before? Then it hit her. The last ghost had shown her the present, and the first one the past, which meant this ghost had taken her to...

"You're the ghost of Christmas Future, aren't you," Catra realised. "Those others, they were the past and the present. So... what am I supposed to learn in the future then, who my future neighbours are?"

The Ghost raised its hand, pointing to two people who were walking down the street. Catra didn't recognise them, one was a lizard person with long hair and a tail and the other was a young man with blue skin and hair. Both were walking down the street arm in arm.

"Oh, by the way, darling, did you hear who finally kicked the bucket?" the lizard asked their companion.

"Oh yes, I heard!" The man replied. "Thank goodness that horrible wench is dead. My family owed so much money to her."

"Well my love, you just became a little bit richer today," the lizard teased, kissing his cheek.

"Wait, who are they talking about?" Catra wondered. "Whose just died?"

The spirit did not answer her.

"Hey, answer me!" Catra insisted, but it was clear she wouldn't have any luck with that.

The spirit did not speak. It only glared at her, sending a chill that bristled all of Catra's fur. She felt a righteous fury at how this... thing looked at her. It almost seemed condescending, and mocking. But, at the same time, Catra was gripped by some unknown fear.

Turning again, the robed figure pointed at a nearby back alley. Catra followed it, silently entering into a den of some sort. She recoiled: the whole of the den was filled with cut-purses, loan sharks, and many other unscrupulous criminals. They appeared to be in some sort of heated auction, each one shouting above the other to throw away their ill-gained money.

"Our next item up for bid," the auctioneer, a sleazy looking reptile, announced as the item was brought up. The item in question was familiar to Catra, for it looked a lot like her favorite dressing gown. A closer look at it revealed that it WAS her favourite dressing gown! But, that was impossible, she was wearing said gown right now.

"This finely woven silk/wool dressing gown, once worn by the most reviled woman in all of the kingdom: the late Bitch of Brightmoon! Now, I'm sure you all 'fondly'," he stated in air quotes, "remember our dear departed friend, and how much she loved nothing more but her money. So, in memory of her, we decided to start bidding for this prized possession at twice the value our appraisers have given for it. Bidding opens at a grand some of: 2 gold!"

The auction erupted, voices once again shouting over each other to state a higher bid. All the while, Catra quickly backed away. "The bitch of Brightmoon?" she repeated. She had heard many people call her that; most of them being competitor loan agencies she bought out just to dismantle them. But, she assured herself that it could be someone else. It wasn't like she was the sole most hated woman in Brightmoon. Surely, certain members of the royal family were just as...

She froze. "The royal family," she murmured to herself, fear once again clutching at her chest. "Adora!" she said, quickly turning to the spirit. "Please, if this is the future, I need to see her! Take me to her right now!"

The spirit nodded and she arched her hands again, summoning the strange crimson winds. The winds circled Catra and her, coiling them around them like serpents.

Catra shielded herself, trying to keep the befuddlement of the wind to a minimum. Unfortunately, it only seemed to blow through her, hitting at her very core. When they died down, she found herself in the royal palace. In her youth, she would have loved to have come here. She always pictured it to be so opulent, with lavish parties and beautiful balls in every room, the high society of Brightmoon rubbing elbows with one another. But, looking at it now, it all seemed so bleak.

Cold stone walls adorned with harsh bannisters of bleak histories. Unfeeling steel soldiers standing at constant attention, all of them hollow. Rows upon rows of armaments cluttered what bare stone was left, each one either showing signs of warping and damage from constant usage, or rust from inaction.

"Wait a minute," she said, looking around her. "Are we in the armory?" She turned to the spirit, confused. "What are we doing here? I wanted to see Adora, not all these weapons!"

Suddenly, a loud cry rang out from the next room over. Catra and the spirit both turned to it, Catra instantly perking up. She recognized the voice inside there. "Adora!" She called out, running headlong into the room, passing through the door as if it was air. She was so happy: the woman she loves was still around! Surely knowing that her lover was still wearing her constant dorky smile would bring some levity to her. But, when she reached her love, she froze. It wasn't her beloved Adora that she saw in that room. Granted, it looked just like her: the same flowing blonde hair, the same beautiful blue eyes, every part of her looked exactly like she remembered it. But, the warmth that Adora seemed to exhume whenever she was around was gone. Now, all that was left, was a shadow of her former self. There was so much sadness inside it, and a fury unlike any other. The source of said fury picked up a nearby sword, and with deadly force, hacked away at the wooden training dummy that stood before her.

As Adora hacked away with her weapon, Glimmer walked into the training yard, the Queen herself looking visibly older too, with much shorter hair and a longer cape than she wore in the present. As she walked over to Adora, the blonde growled angrily, chopping the head off the dummy.

"Damn it!" Adora shouted.

"Adora... are you..."

"Just leave me alone!" The blonde roared and as she turned around, both Glimmer and Catra could see the pure unbridled fury in her eyes.

Catra panicked, panting heavily. Just what on earth had enraged Adora so much? Not even during their argument all those years earlier had Adora looked so pissed off. It honestly filled Catra with even more dread than the appearance of the final ghost.

However, Adora then calmed down, sighing as she put her weapon down. She looked to the ground, Catra seeing the emotion drain from her face. "I'm... I'm sorry."

Glimmer walked over to Adora and put a hand on her shoulder. "I... I know that you loved her... but that version of Catra died a long time ago."

"I know... but I feel so guilty," Adora responded, trying her best not to burst into tears. "Every year I thought about trying to make up with her... and now I won't have the chance."

"Did... they say how she passed?" Glimmer asked.

"A heart attack, I think... she went in her sleep. Apparently, her old partner died the same way," Adora recounted. "To some people that was too good for her. I hear some folks are even auctioning off all her stuff as we speak. Bow and I even saw someone loot stuff from her house."

"Well, when you're someone like that... you're bound to make enemies," Glimmer admitted. "Sorry... I know that's not the right thing to say."

"It's fine, Glimmer," Adora assured her. "I... I just need some space."

Glimmer nodded. "As of now, I'm placing you on a permanent leave of absence. I think Korra can fill in for you until then. Just... try and be better soon, okay?"

"I'll... I'll try," Adora said shakily, trying to go back to her training. But as Glimmer left the yard, Adora tossed her weapon away in rage before breaking down and crying her eyes out. The tears fell from her face, forming into puddles on the ground as the mighty captain of the guard sobbed her heart out.

Catra collapsed to her knees, sobbing as well. Everything made sense. This was the world she was going to leave behind if she didn't change... and it was awful. People were robbing her home and Adora was heartbroken. She wanted so badly to hug Adora or tell her she was actually alive... but after remembering what had happened with the last two ghostly visits, she knew that wasn't possible.

"Oh my god... I'm dead... this is what it's gonna look like when I'm dead." She turned around to face the spirit. "That's why you brought me here... to show me my fate... It's horrible."

The masked ghost nodded.

"Alright... take me back... I don't wanna see any more," Catra pleaded. "Please, seeing Adora was hard enough."

Her companion shook her head.

A quick flick of her wrist and Catra and her were enveloped in the crimson winds again, the winds carrying the tears from Catra's face as they transported both of them to their destination. Catra's heart raced, as she was confronted with her own death.

Eventually, Catra watched as the winds deposited her and the ghost in front of a familiar-looking house in the city. A rather run-down shack. Catra's heart sank as she saw who the house belonged to. It was Scorpia and Perfuma's home and she then realised why she was brought here.

"No... No, I don't wanna be here!" Catra begged. "Please take me back!"

The spirit pointed at the house, unwavering. It cared not for Catra's feelings or state, all that mattered was its mission.

Catra, however, backed away from the hobble. "Please," she pleaded, "take me somewhere, ANYWHERE else! I can't stand to know what happens here! I've already suffered enough, I can't take any more of it!"

It only pointed at the house, adamant in its convictions.

Seeing no other choice but to, Catra pressed on, taking small, hesitant steps to the house. When she was within touching distance of the single window of the ground floor, she looked back to the spirit, a pitiable, pleading look on her face.

Again, the spirit just pointed.

Gulping, Catra wiped off the grime of the window, and took a peek inside. What she saw broke her heart completely, probably even more so than seeing Adora grieve over her death right before her eyes. The tears started to form again as she covered her mouth.

Inside of the house was Perfuma, tending to a rather upset Scorpia, both of them huddled up by the fire. From the look in Scorpia's eyes... she'd been crying. Both of them were dressed in dark clothes, all in black. Catra realised what had happened and she only felt more guilt in her heart.

"Oh, Scorpia..." Catra whimpered. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for treating you like dirt. I'm sorry... I'm sorry for poor Petunia."

But Scorpia couldn't hear her. The arachnid woman shuddered with each sob, her massive frame heaving. Gingerly, her wife held her, trying to pour all her love in each touch she could give. But, it was for nought: the large woman was too inconsolable to be reached.

"It's not fair!" Scorpia whined, her face buried in her claws.

Perfuma held her tighter. "I know," she agreed, trying to be strong for the both of them. But, she could not stop the tears that escaped from her eyes. "She was so young and so precious. She literally had her whole life ahead of her. We'll all miss her so much, but we'll all never forget her. We'll never forget her laugh, the silly songs she used to sing when she was happy, how she found beauty in even the most mundane things. And we'll never forget the spirit she infused within all of us."

"They didn't even try!" Scorpia shuddered, trying to keep what little of her bravado left together. "Of all the doctors in Brightmoon we met, not a single one of them even tried to save her. And for what? Money? Isn't saving a child's life more important than some piece of paper with numbers on it? It shouldn't matter if we could pay for anything they can do, it was their duty to preserve a life!" Scorpia huddled into herself, sobbing once more after her tirade. "It's just, not fair" she repeated, sniffling.

Catra felt her heart sink deeper into her chest.

And for the first time, her ghostly companion spoke.

"You are right to feel despair for your employee and her wife," The ghost said in a deep voice. "A while ago, their youngest child passed away. Perhaps, if Scorpia had been paid better and not been forced to quit her job working for you than maybe her daughter would still be alive."

"She quit?" Catra asks, stupefied. "When? Why?" she ponders to her host, desperate for some semblance of mercy. Unfortunately, the ghost fell silent again. She scoffed. "Some help you're gonna be," Catra murmured, before looking at the heartbreak before her.

Suddenly, the rest of Perfuma and Scorpia's children come down the stairs, each one with tears in their eyes, garbed in mourning black, and holding a small memento. Bloom held a doll, Juniper held a book, Flora and Fauna, while holding each other's hand, also held a single teacup, Sage held a folded dress in her arms, and the oldest, Poppy, held two items: a familiar wooden cane and a picture. On it, the smiling face of Petunia beamed.

"Oh no," Catra whispered. "It's the funeral today, isn't it?"

"Moms," Poppy said, her voice low and even. She had to be strong: she was the oldest sibling after all, and all her sisters looked up to her. Although, at that moment, all she wanted to do was run back upstairs, bury herself in her blankets on her cot, and cry. "We should get going," she said. "Petunia's funeral will start any minute now."

Perfuma sighed, giving one last loving hug to her wife. "She's right," she said, slowly picking herself up. "We should go."

"I can't," Scoripa said suddenly, picking herself up.

"Scorpia?" Perfuma asked, confused by her wife's sudden words.

Looking around her, seeing the pain in not just her wife, but her daughter's eyes as well, it was too much for her. "I'm sorry, I just can't!" she stated, throwing open the door and walking outside. She turned down the street, casting one more look at what was once her home, all the pain it held hammering into her unrelentingly. She then turned quickly away, walked down the street, and didn't stop.

"Mommy?" Bloom whimpered, clutching the doll she and Petunia used to play with so much.

Perfuma knelt down to her now youngest child, and wrapped her tight in a hug. "It'll be okay, little one," she assured, "she'll come back. Mommy just... needs a moment." The way she said those words, it was hard to decipher whom she was trying to convince more: her children, or herself.

"She never came back" the spirit suddenly spoke for the second time.

Catra was crying her eyes out now. This future... everything about it was awful and horrible. "This is what will happen if I don't change my ways.. I'll die a pointless death... Scorpia will lose her daughter... and Adora will be heartbroken... and I'll have left is being remembered as the Bitch of Brightmoon!"

The spirit nodded, and the dark clouds surrounded them both again. Catra was transported back to her room, only the room now glowed with the same dark red aura as the clouds. As she sat on her bed, she watched in horror as the Ghost of the future levitated above her, its piercing white eyes having turned blood red.

At that moment, the two other spirits that visited Catra appeared to her, Past and Present. All three of them floated above her, circling her, casting their mocking gazes upon her. Catra felt pure and utter terror and a deep sense of guilt and regret for all she had done.

"Alright, I get it!" Catra cried out, turning to the three ghosts that surround her. "I've been a horrible person! I let my own pains numb me to the rest of the world! I pushed everyone away from me, and even destroyed any hope of getting back the woman I love! But I can change! Everything you've shown me tonight taught me what I needed to know! I can become a better person! I WILL become a better person! All I need is the chance to do so!"

"Are you going to promise that little sister?" The ghost of the past asked. "Did you not promise to Adora that you would always be with her?"

"Yes! I'll promise!" Catra argued, sobbing. "I'll make amends with her! I won't let her be alone again!"

"I don't believe her" the Ghost of the Future stated. "She's too stubborn to change."

"But we have shown her what happens to those who don't change," The Ghost of the present added.

"Indeed, you have shown enough my friends," Hordak's spirit added, as he faded into view. "But now, Catra must make her choice."

"Indeed, she can either live," the ghost of the future said. "Or die like me!" The ghost then removed her mask and to Catra's horror... she saw that it had her own face. Or at least, the rotting corpse of her face. The sight made Catra sick and she screamed in terror.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

And then she shot up in bed, sweat beading from her brow, the image of her own rotting race still with her. She panted, trying to calm down. All the images of everything she'd seen flashed through her mind and she felt as if she was about to have a heart attack.

Quickly, she looked at the time... and then she saw that it was only 1am. She didn't want to begin to wonder if it had been a dream of if the spirits had really sent her back in time so she could think more on her actions.

Eventually, Catra managed to ease herself after what she had seen, all she had seen that night. Every one of the visitors had given her something to think about, to consider her actions more and the consequences she'd had, past present and future.

Adora, Scorpia, her life, her reputation... her desire for wealth and power. Her life had hit rock bottom and she didn't even know it. But now it was time for a change and Catra was sure of that. She needed to change, she didn't want to end up like the corpse that had been under the Ghost of the future's mask.

And it would all start... on Christmas Morning

xXx

**Author's Note:** Final chapter tomorrow... and this story will have a happy ending!


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

It was a new dawn, not just for Brightmoon... but for Catra as well. As she looked out of her bedroom window, seeing the snow-covered streets like those that she'd seen in the Ghost of Present's vision, she knew what she needed to do. Today was the day she finally changed, finally broke away from being the cold, ruthless woman the world had known her as.

But for now... she was allowing herself to enjoy the season. For the first time since she was very young, she was enjoying the sight of Christmas. And it was a beautiful sight indeed. From the snow, to the decorations, to the people being jolly, she was loving it.

Heading downstairs and making breakfast, Catra was soon dressed for the day. She didn't know where she was going to start with all this... but she knew that today she would change. She wouldn't be the Bitch of Brightmoon. Instead, she'd be its benefactor, using her wealth to make life better for everyone.

Firstly, she walked out into the street, looking around. Of course, her business was shut that day, since it was the holidays, so she wasn't exactly going to head there. But she was still puzzled as to what to do first. There were so many options for her to start her new life of goodness and Catra was quite indecisive

Just as she was looking around for a moment, a young girl with pink skin and hair bumped into her. The girl fell flat on her rear, Catra also noticing she had a lovely pair of wings growing from her back.

"Ooof, sorry!" The girl apologised. "I didn't mean to do that."

The old Catra would have probably shouted and cursed at the girl before telling her to beat it. But not the new Catra. And right now, the new Catra was about to perform her first act of kindness. Catra smiled and reached down, helping the young girl back to her feet... "It's alright, Miss..."

"Flutterina!" the girl chirped.

"Well, Fluterrina, you should watch where you're going," Catra said. "I'd hate to see a wonderful kid like you hurt herself, especially on such a lovely day as this."

And then... Catra had another idea.

"Actually... Flutterina, could you do me a favour?" Catra asked. She quickly took out her notebook and a pencil, writing down an address on a piece of paper. She tore out the page from her book and with quite a good portion of money, handed them both to the little girl. "Would you go to the butcher's shop and buy me a turkey with this money?"

"Oh certainly!" the girl said. "Wait... is this for you?"

"No, it's for a friend of mine. When you get to the shop, tell them to send the turkey to this address, will you?" Catra said, quickly presenting a piece of paper with a hastily written address on it.

Flutterina nodded, saluting with pride. "Yes, Ma'am!" She chirped, taking the money and running off down the street.

Smiling, Catra sauntered down the street, a spring in her step, and a smile on her lips. But, as she walked on, a thought crossed her mind. That was a lot of money she gave to the little girl, more than what was needed to buy the turkey. What was she going to do with the change?

"Wait! Flutterina!" she called out, stopping the girl in her tracks. She turned, looking back at the older woman with confusion. With a smile, Catra told her "whatever money is left from buying the turkey, you can keep it! Use it however you want to!"

She gaped. Looking at the large bag of gold coins, she opened it up and counted exactly how many were inside. When finished, she quickly closed it, turning back to Catra with amazement. "All of it!?" she asked, unsure if she heard right.

"Every last piece!" Catra affirmed. With a bright smile, she called out a cheerful "Merry Christmas!" before departing.

At that moment, Catra found warmth in her heart. But still... she felt like she could have done more. As she walked down the street, she pondered what next to do with her change of heart. Still, there were so many options before her and Catra was still struggling to choose.

Just then, Catra saw two familiar faces, a man with a moustache and a dark-skinned woman with blue hair. She recognised them from the night before, the couple who were raising funds for the orphanage. She remembered how harsh she'd been to them... and as such, she decided to make amends.

Here goes nothing, she thought.

Walking over to the couple, Catra called over to them. "Hey! Excuse me!" She cried out.

The woman turned around. "Miss Weaver? What are you doing here?"

"I... I came to ask if you're still accepting donations," Catra stated. "I apologise for my behaviour last night. It would mean a lot to me to know if those orphans got a better home this terrible winter, especially with the weather being as it is. I'm prepared to write out a big check for you.

The man blinked. "Wait, are you serious?"

"But Miss Weaver... aren't you supposed to be-" the dark-skinned woman started.

"I'm not that woman," Catra insisted. "Not anymore. Now... how much would you like me to donate?"

The woman was quite speechless. "I... I... I suppose a good two thousand gold would be alright."

"Consider it done! I'll write a cheque for you by the end of the week," Catra stated, grinning. Suddenly, she paused. "Actually, I won't," she said, "I won't give you that two thousand gold you want.

The collector gaped. "Wh-what?" the man asked, his moustache actually drooping with disappointment. The woman just growled, fist clenching in fury.

"Hang on, hang on," Catra responded, defusing the situation, "I intend to do better. Put me down for..." she whispers her donation amount into both of their ears. Their eyes bulge, their jaws drop, and they drop the donation vouchers they had in their hands.

"That much!?" the man asks, beyond surprised by the generosity of the woman before them.

"And not a copper less," Catra affirmed with a nod.

The woman was gobsmacked. Just the other day, Catra, the woman standing before her, pretty much signed so many children's death warrants by her act of greed. Now, it was almost as if a complete stranger was before them. Sure, it had Catra's face and form, and spoke just like her, but that couldn't possibly be Catra Weaver.

"I intend to personally hand-deliver the cheque by the end of the week" Catra then promised, her grin still present.

Finally, the woman collects herself enough to speak. But what could she say? This woman before her pretty much single-handedly ensured the orphanage wouldn't just stay open, but would actually remain open for years to come. There was even more than enough in her donation to provide for much-needed repairs, and a few new toys for the children if stretched far enough. Finally, she found her voice. "Um, thank you" was all she said.

"Indeed!" the man exclaimed, taking Catra's hands and shaking them for all their worth. "Thank you! Thank you so very much! My wife and I could not believe such a kind and generous soul did live within you, especially around Christmas! Now, the children of the Harold Primus Youth Academy and Orphanage will have the best Christmas ever! Won't they, Mermista, my dear!?"

"Indeed, thank you so much!" Mermista added.

"Harold Primus?" Catra wondered. "Huh... as a matter of fact, I actually grew up there. And you're welcome. I just intend to do my job as a good samaritan."

"Well, they'll appreciate it," Mermista replied. "Especially Madame Razz."

"She's still working there?!" Catra exclaimed. "My goodness, tell her I said hello, will you? I'm sure she'll remember me."

"Oh we'll be sure to!" the man replied. "But if you want to make any more generous donations... I'm sure the royal family would gladly be accepting some. Queen Glimmer is in the town square right now, leading the celebrations for the season. If you make quite a donation to her... It'll go quite a way to making your reputation better."

Catra smirked. "You don't say... thank you for telling me."

"Not a problem, dear lady!" the man said. Suddenly, the man gave a thought. Picking himself up, he undid the bright red scarf he had wrapped around his neck, and give it to Catra.

"Sea Hawk, what are you doing?" Mermista hissed.

"Well my dear, since it is the season of giving, I felt it only fair that I give a little kindness in return to the great kindness shown to us," he said as he gently placed the scarf in Catra's hands.

Catra, however, quickly shoved it back into Sea Hawk's. "I can't accept this," she told him. "It wouldn't be right of me to take something from you after I gave so much."

"Oh, hogwash!" Sea Hawk said, wrapping the scarf around Catra's neck. "As I said before; Christmas is the season of giving. It doesn't matter if we do or don't give something back in return, all that matters is that we think of others as we do so. Besides, it looks so much better on you than it does on me."

"Hmmm... He's certainly got you there," Mermista agreed.

Gingerly, Catra stroked the scarf, letting the comfort and warmth such a simple wool garment could give her. "Thank you" she murmurs, on the verge of crying. It had been quite some time since anyone had given her a present... and it felt just as good to receive as it was to give.

Suddenly, Catra feels more warmth around her, as Mermista wraps her in a hug, trying to squeeze away any negativity she may be feeling. "Merry Christmas," she simply said to the pair before breaking the hug.

Sea Hawk and Mermista then took their leave and Catra knew exactly what to do next. It was time to go see Adora again... and this time, she'd really try and make sure they re-united properly this time. After all, she knew where she was going to be and knew how she felt about her.

Plus, she really had to apologise to the king and queen for bumping into them the night before. The last thing she wanted was to be hung for such a heinous act.

xXx

Meanwhile, in the centre of town, Adora was keeping an eye on the celebrations, watching Glimmer dance with a group of children while Bow was sharing a grand holiday feast with some of the citizens. It all looked very jolly... and yet, she was still missing Catra.

As she watched couples dancing and sharing the holiday together, she deeply wished that was her and Catra together. She was trying her best to be happy, but no matter who she looked at, she just imagined her and Catra in their place and that only made her even more depressed.

Why this year of all years was she feeling the worst about it all?

Finishing her dance with the children and watching them head back to their parents, Glimmer walked over to Adora, eyeing her curiously. Her guard's rather down mood was so apparent and noticeable, Glimmer would swear it could be seen from space. She knew she had to cheer Adora up.

"Adora, are you okay?" she asked. "You're spacing out again." She held her hand, giving her a concerning look.

"Sorry," Adora apologised. "There's just... something on my mind right now."

Glimmer sighed, knowing exactly what that something was. "Thinking about her again?"

The blonde shyly nodded.

Facepalming, Glimmer groaned. "Adora, you're my best friend, and I really care about you and want you to be happy, but, maybe it's about time you finally let Catra go. She obviously doesn't want anything to do with the rest of humanity, so I doubt she'll want anything with you."

Adora was taken aback. "What!?" she cried out, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth as to not disturb the rest of the festivities. "How could you say something like that...?!"

"Because I believe it to be the truth!" Glimmer stated. "That woman is as cold and heartless as she comes. She is NOT the Catra you remember her to be from your childhood together. Any opportunity she might have to put a knife in your belly, I'm sure she'd do it, even more so if she was getting paid for it! Hell, for the right amount of gold, she would have no qualms with putting your head on a pike! She's vicious! She's ruthless! She's heartless! She's..."

"Right here," a voice said simply, catching the two women by surprise. Both of them turned to see Catra herself standing before the pair, her usual scowl plastered on her face. "And just for the record, I heard every single word you said to Adora, your majesty" she stated, ending with a mocking tone and faux bow. "You really think I'm heartless? That I would try to kill my old friend, the woman I once loved, just out of spite or money? Do I really matter that little to you?" With each question, Catra stepped closer to Glimmer, her expression unchanged.

Acting on her training, Adora drew her sword and jumped before the queen. "Catra! Please! Don't make me do this!" she pleaded, her sword wavering in front of her.

Catra just cast a look at Adora. "Adora, this doesn't concern you. So please, get out of my way," she said calmly.

"You know I won't," she replied, trying desperately to steel herself. "As captain of the royal guard, it's my duty to protect the king and queen at all cost. So Catra, for once, just listen to me and leave."

Catra just approached again, stopping within arm's reach. Adora's sword was on her chest, the blade gently pressing into her coat. Part of Catra knew Adora could kill her if she wanted to... but Catra knew how much Adora still loved and as such, knew exactly how to play this.

Gently pushing the sword to one side, Catra walked right up to Adora and placed her hands on her former friend's shoulders, holding her firmly. "I just want to talk," she said, her voice firm, but soft. "That's all."

Adora stared at her. The last time Catra spoke to her in such a tone, they were children, swearing to be together forever. Looking into her eyes, Adora could see true conviction in them, along with hints of sadness, and something else. She was too afraid to name what that something else was, on the off chance that it truly was what she thought it was. If it were, she wouldn't know whether to kill Catra... or kiss her.

She sheathed her sword, moving out of the way.

"Adora!" Glimmer hissed, looking back and forth between the two women. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Letting her talk," she said simply.

With Adora finally out of the way, Catra stood before the queen. "Alright," Glimmer grouses, "you wanted to talk, so, talk. Let's just get this over with quickly, you're ruining a lot of people's Christmas with this big show of yours." To prove her point, the queen swept her arm out across her, showing her how many people turned their attention towards the drama unfolding. Even the king was watching them, hands subtly reaching for his bow and arrows just in case things went South.

"I didn't come here to start trouble," Catra said softly. "I came... to make an apology."

Adora's eyes widened and her heart started to warm. Had Catra finally seen the light? "You... You have?"

"I've... I've done some thinking about myself, how I was seen by the people in this kingdom... and by you, Adora," Catra expressed. "I admit it. I've been a horrible terrible person and the only one to blame for that is me. So... I've come to change my ways and I plan to do that by donating a large sum of my money to the royal family, so they may use it to better the lives of those in this kingdom."

Glimmer stared. "Wait... seriously?"

"Is this really the same person who bumped into us last night?" Bow whispered.

"Hush, Bow," Glimmer whispered back before clearing her throat. She stepped forward. "Uhhhh... wow, that is quite an apology there, Miss Weaver... but how do we know you're genuine about this?"

"Because I also want to say sorry for bumping into you and your husband last night, your majesty," Catra replied. "I didn't realise it was you. If I'd had better judgement and realised who you were, I would have apologised right away instead of telling you to... well, I can't really say it in front of the children, but you get the idea."

Glimmer was sceptical. She had heard many apologies like this throughout her life, most of them a ruse for a quick and dirty assassination attempt. She could feel the sincerity in Catra's words, but still, the experience she had last night with her, and what she heard about her from Adora conflicted in her. She honestly had no idea what to do.

"I can vouch for her," Adora stated, stepping beside Catra and taking her hand. Catra stiffened up, the electricity of the woman she loved's hand in her own causing all the hairs on her body to stand on end. "Catra Weaver may have done some horrible things in her life," Adora stated, "but the fact that she's up here, actually asking for forgiveness, should be more than enough evidence that she truly does wish to change. And though some may think that only a miracle could change a sinner into a saint, isn't that what Christmas is all about? Miracles?"

"I agree," Bow added, taking Catra's unoccupied side. "Glimmer, darling, you always claimed yourself to be a fair and just ruler, always willing to forgive those to act against us in spite. Well now, here is such a woman, asking, if not begging, for forgiveness. Now, I only think it fair that you hold yourself to your word, as queen."

The crowd around them cheered in agreement, proclaiming and demanding the queen to forgive. Catra was taken aback: all these people, these complete strangers, many of whom she had taken pretty much everything they had, were demanding her forgiveness. It was so much for her to bear. She turned to the king, who gave her a confident wink, assured that a positive outcome will occur. Then she looked over to Adora, pausing. Looking into those big, beautiful blue eyes of hers, reminded her of just what she was missing, and what she almost lost. She could see only love in them, and hoped that the love she had as well was just as visible in her own.

"Alright!" Glimmer shouted, silencing the rabble.

"...Alright what?" Adora asked.

Glimmer sighed. "I have decided to take Miss Catra Weaver's words to heart, and offer her my forgiveness."

The square erupted in cheers, strangers and lovers embracing each other. Even Adora held Catra close. Close enough, for their breaths' to intermingle. They didn't know it, but their faces subtly drew closer and closer, their eyelids falling. At that moment, the two of them nearly kissed.

"HOWEVER," Glimmer said, freezing the entire square dead in its tracks. As well as causing both Adora and Catra to accidentally bite their tongues. "The depth of my forgiveness needs to be decided. Miss Weaver, if you want to gain my full forgiveness, you must prove you are sincere in your words! Show me and this entire square that you are indeed a changed woman, and I shall pardon all of your transgressions up until now!"

"Glim, don't you think that might be a bit, much?" Bow subtly asked his wife.

"Not if Miss Weaver is truly sincere in her words," Glimmer states, sticking to her laurels and folding her arms.

With a huff of indignation, she grabs Adora's shoulders, and looks her dead in the eye. "Adora," she announces, "the last time I told you these words, I was the worst woman in the world. But, know now, that woman isn't me anymore. I have changed, and I want you to be the first one to know how deep those changes are."

"Catra..." Adora gasps.

Taking a deep breath, steeling her nerves, Catra stared Adora dead in the eyes, and declared, "Adora Grayskull, captain of the royal family of Brightmoon, I..." she suddenly paused, catching subtle movement in her peripheral vision. Turning her gaze, she looked over the crowd, trying to find what had caused the moment. In a short time, she found it, and a wicked idea came to her.

"'I...'?" Adora repeated, hoping this was what she thought it was.

"I... I love you. I always have." Catra finally got the words out. "I love you more than anything else." However, she just smirked. "But give me a moment will you?" Catra gave a wicked smile. "I'll be right back." she then detached herself from the woman she loved. Freed from her lover's arms, she made her way quickly through the crowd.

Adora blushed, wondering just what Catra was up to. But... she wasn't complaining. If anything, she knew that she and Catra were going to be together now and in her eyes, that was all that mattered.

Meanwhile, Catra made a beeline towards a certain very muscular arachnid woman, who was looking in through the window at the nearby hat shop. If the Queen wanted a demonstration of her kindness, Catra was going to give her one and she knew just how to do it.

Scorpia hummed to herself, a skip in her step. She had stowed away a small portion of her paychecks throughout the year, and was going to finally get something nice with it. But the question lingered: what was she going to get, and who could she get it for? She wasn't going to use any of her hidden savings for herself, for goodness sake, she wanted it to be a surprise for somebody close to her. She thought long and hard about who she was going to surprise. She could always get something for her wife, but that felt like she wanted something out of her in return, so she couldn't do that. Maybe she could get a new toy for one of her children...no, that wouldn't work. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of her children if only one of them got a new toy. Even if it was for little Petunia. It would be the same if she bought a new dress or new shoes for one of them. She was the only employee at the loan office, so she couldn't get something for co-workers. And there was NO WAY she would even think about using it for herself.

And then, it came to her: Catra. It was perfect. She could buy her boss something nice, to show how much she appreciated having her job. True, she was a bit of a spoilsport on Christmas, but that didn't matter. She knew that deep down, Catra appreciated the company, and would appreciate the gift she could give her. Now, the only question was, what to give her.

"Maybe I can get her a new hat..." she mused to herself.

"Scorpia Garnet!" a very familiar voice barked behind her, "what are you doing out of the office?"

Slowly, Scorpia turned, coming face to face with the scowling face of her very, very, VERY unhappy-looking employer. "M-m-miss Weaver!" she was able to stutter out.

"Well?" Catra said sharply, "I'm waiting."

Scorpia gulped, forcing down the lump developing in her throat. "Um, ma'am," she said, "it's Christmas day. You gave me the day off, remember?"

"I gave _you_ the day off?" Catra repeated, her voice bordering on a growl. "Do you really think that I, Catra Weaver, Bright Moon's most successful and financially secure lender would willingly let my sole employee have a _day_ _off_?

"Umm... yes, because that's the law," Scorpia reminded her. "No one works on Christmas day."

Catra sighed. "Well... I've been wrong. You can have as many days off as you want... and I'm even giving you a raise so you can better look after Petunia."

"Wait... how do you-"

"Oh, and you are a lucky woman as well!" Catra chirped. "I had no idea your wife Perfuma was so gorgeous!"

Scorpia was at a loss for words. Was Catra... actually complimenting her? And giving her a raise? And telling her she could have as much time off as she wanted? She pinched herself at that moment, trying to make sure she wasn't dreaming. But this was real and Catra... had finally changed for the better.

Catra laughed boisterously, wrapping her sole employee in a bone-crushing hug. "Merry Christmas, you wonderful scorpion!"

"Um...merry Christmas?" Scorpia replied, still trying to comprehend what she just heard. "Could you repeat what you just said?"

"You heard me," Catra said, "I'm raising your salary, and I'm giving you the rest of the week off. That should be more than plenty of time to spend with your family, right?"

Scorpia just nodded dumbly, too surprised to really understand what was just happening. She was blushing bright red as well. Just how was she going to explain this to Perfuma? But she watched as everyone then applauded Catra and she joined in, proud of her boss.

With her peace said, Catra returned to the centre of the square, standing before the queen, and beside Adora. Taking her lover's hand, Catra knew she had things in the bag. She glanced over at Glimmer, smiling smugly at the queen. "So... do you need any more proof, your majesty?"

"I... I don't think so," Glimmer said, awestruck.

"Good," Catra replied. "Now, where was- Mmph!"

Before Catra could finish that sentence, a deeply in love Adora grabbed her by the shoulders and dipped her, kissing her passionately in front of everyone. Catra's eyes widened in shock as Adora kissed her deeply and lovingly, her eyes closing as she wrapped her arms around the blonde.

The square erupted in cheers as they watched Adora and Catra kiss, rejoicing in this Christmas miracle. As Adora pulled away from the kiss, she smiled at her.

"I love you too," she whispered.

Catra smiled. "Oh, you have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that."

xXx

Sometime later, Catra was in Scorpia's home, enjoying Christmas dinner with the arachnid and her wonderful family. Scorpia had been quite surprised when she found out that a Christmas turkey had been delivered to their home, Catra stating that it was her present to her.

As Scorpia ate heartily, she smiled at her boss, glad to see she had finally changed. The woman who was now sitting for Christmas dinner with her... was clearly not the same woman who had been bossing her around all these years. And she couldn't have been happier.

"Say, it was nice of you to send us that turkey," Scorpia said with her mouthful, "even if Perfuma had already gotten us a goose."

"Ehhh, Turkey's are more festive," Catra said. "Besides... I wanted to do something good for your family."

Scorpia smiled at her, swallowing. "So... what exactly made you change your mind overnight? I mean... I'm totally buying you're changed now, I just wanna know what brought all this on."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Catra remarked.

"Oh yeah? Try me," Scorpia responded.

"I was visited by three ghosts who showed me the true meaning of Christmas," Catra stated. She wasn't sure how well Scorpia would take it.

Scorpia scoffed. "Oh Catra! You know Ghosts aren't real... wait, are they?"

Catra just chuckled. She wasn't going to give her an answer. But she did wonder now... had it all been real? Were the ghosts judging her right now and she still had something to prove even after all she'd done that day? She hoped not... she'd honestly run out of ideas.

Perfuma then walked into the room, carrying some pudding for dessert. "I've brought some dessert if you'd like it, Catra. I hope you don't mind figgy pudding."

"Actually I quite like it, but I'm gonna have to say no thanks, Perfuma," Catra replied. "I'd love to stay but I've got a date tonight."

"Oh right!" Scorpia chirped. "Hey, look at you, all invited to a fancy party."

Catra grinned. "It pays when you know someone who works in the castle."

After her rather public display of affection with Adora, Queen Glimmer had outright invited Catra to the yuletide ball she was holding at the castle that evening. Considering this was going to be hers and Adora's first proper date, Catra had wanted to look her best., hence why she'd visited Scorpia while wearing one of her finest suits.

"So... I'll see you on Monday then?" Scorpia wondered.

Catra nodded. "Don't worry about being late, I won't be bothered."

"Nuh-uh, I like to be on time. If you're gonna treat me with respect now, I'm gonna do the same for you," Scorpia replied proudly. "Miss Weaver."

"Oh please," Catra scoffed, "Miss Weaver sounds so huffy. Just call me 'Catra', you've earned that right. After all, you've been my only friend for years."

Scorpia gasped and nodded. "Okay... Catra." She giggled. "It's gonna be weird to call you that now in person."

"But it is Miss Weaver when you're in the office," Catra corrected. "We still need to be formal for our customers."

"Right, right," Scorpia said.

Just then, Catra saw a little girl walk into the room, frail and holding herself up with a cane. It was Petunia. Catra at that moment smiled. Thanks to the raise she'd given Scorpia, not to mention the other thing she was planning to offer her, she knew that her friend's youngest daughter now had a future.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Perfuma asked as she picked up the frail child. "Did you hurt yourself again?"

The child shook her head no, surprising both mothers.

"Are you feeling sick?" Scorpia asked in concern. Again, Petunia just shook her head no.

"Are you tired?" Perfuma asked as she checked her daughter's temperature. Surprisingly, she didn't feel feverish. Gently pressing her ear to her chest, Perfuma checked if she was breathing okay. Incredibly, her breathing was fine.

"You two really worry about her, don't you?" Catra asked, amazed by how meticulous the pair were in checking the welfare of such a small creature.

Scorpia nodded as Perfuma handed their youngest to her. "She's always been so frail, ever since she was born," she said. "We took her to every doctor in Brightmoon we could find to see if there was anything they could do for her, but," she sighed, "they all say the same thing: be ready for her to go, it could be any day now." She looks down at her child and holds her close, trying not to cry. "She's only five years old, and doctors are telling us she could die at any moment. She literally has the rest of her life ahead of her, and all they can think to talk about is setting up her funeral. It's not fair!" At that point, tears began to escape Scorpia' as clenched eyes, her pain too hard to hide any longer.

Catra watched, unsure of what to do. Seeing her friend's pain while with the spirits of Christmas were so much different than experiencing them first hand. At that moment, Scorpia's pain was her own.

Gingerly, Catra extended her arms out. "May I?" she asks lightly.

With a sniffle and a shaky nod, Scorpia gingerly passes Petunia into Catra's waiting arms. "Sorry you had to see me like this," she apologized, "sometimes, it's just too much to bear." Perfuma comes up behind her wife, placing a reassuring hand on her broad shoulders.

Catra smiled. "You want to live a long time, don't you, Petunia?"

"Yes, I want to live forever!" the little girl replied.

"Well... I wanna make sure that you do," Catra insisted. "In fact." She then looked at the loving couple before her, "I know you will live forever!" Picking herself up, she gently returns the little girl to her parents. "I'm going to make you live forever!" she states proudly.

"Um, Catra, what are you talking about?" Scorpia asks, as confused as her wife was.

"Scorpia," Catra announces, holding the large woman at arm's length, "I'm going to hire the best doctors not just in Brightmoon, but in all of Etheria, to look after your daughter! And I won't let a single one of them rest until they figure out what is wrong with her, and how they can cure her!"

Both women gasped. "You-you're serious?" Perfuma asked, her voice wavering.

"I swear on my life," Catra assured them. "Your daughter will have a future, Scorpia. I won't let her die, I promise you."

The tears of happiness running down the mothers' faces couldn't be stopped, as they hugged little Petunia tightly. Catra smiled at them both joyfully.

"Of course, you'll have to cover some of the bills," Catra then stated, breaking the moment. "You can't expect me to handle everything on my own, do you?"

"N-no, of course not!" Scorpia stuttered, seeing the old Catra come back. _Goodbye extra salary_ , she thought.

"Good" Catra stated. Seeing Scorpia's down-trotted face, she chuckled, wrapping an assuring arm around her midsection. "Oh relax," she told her, "I'll still cover most of the bills, but it should only be fair that my new business partner handles some of the heavy lifting as well. It'll help you if you ever decide to go into business for yourself." Stretching her hand out, she asked the larger woman, "so, what do you say: partners?"

Scorpia froze. She had just heard Catra Weaver ask her to be her business partner!

"I think, 50/50 would be a good split in the profits, don't you?" Catra asked.

Gasping, Scorpia tackled Catra in a bone-shattering hug. "THANK YOU!" She hollered in joy.

"You're... welcome..." Catra groaned. "Oh god... Scorpia you're crushing me..."

Scorpia pulled away. "Oh sorry."

Gasping for breath, Catra shot out, "warn me the next time you're gonna do that." But, her voice was light and friendly, so she meant no offense by it. Straightening herself out, she turned to her new business partner, and asked them, in a formal tone "Mrs Garnet, would you and your family like to accompany me, to the Brightmoon royal Christmas ball?"

With a flourish and a bow, Scorpia replied, in an equally formal tone "it would be our pleasure, miss Weaver."

A loud eruption of cheers behind Catra caught the adults attention. All eyes turned to see the rest of Scorpia's children cheering, all of them brimming with so much excitement.

"Well then," Perfuma stated as she ushered all their children away, "if we're all going to the ball, we need to look our best! Now come along children: we need to get all cleaned up and dressed in our best."

In a neat line, all of their children followed Perfuma to get washed and dressed. Trailing behind her sisters, hobbling forward on her cane, tiny Petunia followed as close behind as she could. Before reaching the door, she paused and turned towards Catra, her smile beaming and her eyes glowing. "Thank you, Auntie Catty," she said before disappearing behind the door frame.

"You'll always be welcome, little one," Catra replied.

xXx

Meanwhile, at the royal palace, Adora and Glimmer were waiting in the main hall for Catra to arrive, while Bow was leading the other arriving guests to the party. Adora was feeling a little embarrassed in the red and gold ball gown she was wearing, but Glimmer had kept insisting she looked great in it. Adora disagreed.

"I feel like a dork," Adora remarked. "I don't even wear dresses."

"Oh hush, Catra's gonna love you in it and you do wanna look nice for her," Glimmer said. "After all, she made all that effort to change for you."

Adora blushed and looked at her friend. She hadn't really gotten much chance to ask Glimmer how she'd truly felt since Catra had made her rather public display earlier that day. "So... do you still have any doubts about her?"

"You know... I'm not sure," Glimmer stated. "I mean, it was a surprise that she practically changed overnight... but she seems genuine and I doubt there's any ulterior motive to all this. I guess even the worst of humanity really can change for the better."

"Plus, she'll be a great royal treasurer," Adora insisted.

"Hey, let her decide on that," Glimmer replied. "Give her time to adjust."

"But I know she'll be good at it!"

"Good at what?" a voice then spoke.

Adora and Glimmer turned and then, to Adora's amazement, Catra walked into the hall, accompanied by Scorpia and her family. She looked very dashing in a new burgundy suit, her already short hair slicked back smartly. Adora's cheeks glowed bright red, redder than even her dress and gloves.

"Wow..." the blonde whispered, in a daze.

Adora was at a loss for words. She always knew Catra looked stunning in a suit, something about the way she looked now made her seem irresistible. She couldn't put her finger on what it was, but she was loving what she was seeing. Part of her wanted to grab her and kiss her again.

"Down, girl," Glimmer teased, clamping Adora's dangling jaw closed. "Miss Weaver, so good of you to join us."

"Thanks for letting me join, Sparkles" Catra returned.

Glimmer paused. "'Sparkles'?" she repeated in confusion.

Behind her, Adora was fighting the urge to laugh. Dear God, was she trying. Catra always liked to give people nicknames, especially when they were younger. It reminded her that the old Catra she loved was indeed back... and plus, Sparkles was a fitting nickname for Glimmer.

Catra turned to Scorpia. "I'm sure you remember my friend here? Well, this is Scorpia Garnet, my business partner at the new Weaver and Garnet lending firm."

"A pleasure to meet you formally," Bow said, taking Scorpia's claw and shaking it.

"Aw shucks! It's nothing, really," Scorpia, ever so humbly said. Taking her claw back, she turned to Perfuma and their children. "This is my wife, Perfuma, and our children: Bloom, Juniper, Flora, Fauna, Sage, Poppy, and our littlest miracle, Petunia."

"I hope you didn't mind me bringing them along," Catra replied.

"Oh not at all! Everyone is welcome!" Glimmer chirped. "If you'll follow me, ladies."

As Glimmer and Bow left with Scorpia and her family, Adora walked over to Catra, smiling at her. Finally, they were together and all Adora wanted that night was Catra and Catra alone. All those years spent apart... but now they had forever to catch up on what they'd missed.

"You look beautiful," Catra said lovingly.

"Dresses aren't usually my thing," Adora admitted.

"Well, from what I'm seeing, maybe they should be" Catra purred, wrapping her arms tenderly around Adora's waist. "You look like a princess."

"Oh shut up!" Adora laughed as she wrapped her gloved hand arms around Catra as well, gazing into her eyes. "Maybe I do look great but not half as great as you look in that suit."

The two of them embraced one another, Catra sighing in relief. Yesterday, she couldn't have imagined this, being with Adora again and actually being a nice person and wanting to celebrate Christmas. But as of today, Catra was now a firm believer in miracles of all sorts.

"I'm sorry," Catra said. "For not realising all you did for me... for being so angry... for not realising this sooner."

"It's okay," Adora replied. "What matt6ers now is that we're together and have the rest of our lives to make amends for what happened."

"Is that going to start with us making a grand entrance on the dance floor?" Catra teased.

"No," Adora said, smirking. "It's starting with this."

She grabbed Catra, kissing her passionately. Her hands cupped her cheeks as Catra caressed her softly. She was so very much in love with her. The catgirl threaded a finger through Adora's hair as they continued to kiss, before they eventually had to part for air.

"Damn... who knew you'd be such a great kisser."

Adora giggled.

Just then, Catra looked through the window, seeing something on the grass outside of the manor. Four spectral figures, the ghosts of past present and future and even Hordak, all were watching her... and smiling in approval. Catra was now free of their judgement and the catgirl felt relieved at that.

As the spirits left, Catra looked back at Adora, grinning.

"So... shall we, my dear?" she asked.

"We shall," Adora replied, as Catra took her arm and they walked into the ballroom together.

As the night went on, the party had gone into full swing. Music echoed throughout the grand ballroom, lights twinkling and shone off the many wonderful decorations that adorned the walls, and a feeling of warmth filled the air as everyone danced and partied.

A grand Christmas tree sat square in the centre of the ballroom, it's branches heavy with ornaments and lights, a mountain of presents sitting under it, and a brilliant shimmering star crowned it's top.

The dancers danced and spun, letting the music carry them away. In the centre of it all, Catra and Adora lost themselves in each other's eyes. So lost in the moment were they, they didn't notice when they leaned closer to each other until they were actually kissing.

A small, polite applause echoed through the ballroom, the guest celebrating and congratulating their love. Breaking the kiss, they smiled shyly, but sweetly, at each other.

They returned to their dance, letting the world fade away. As they danced, Catra caught sight of her friend Scorpia, dancing animatedly with Perfuma. Apparently, they didn't have many opportunities to dance like this. Granted, being a mother of seven little girls took up quite a lot of their time.

Speaking of, Catra could see all of Scorpia and Perfuma's children distract themselves. They played with the shiny new toys they received from under the tree, feasted from the nearby buffet on foods that they'd never tasted, some of them even danced with some of the lords and ladies in attendance. Little Petunia herself had the distinct honour of dancing with king Bow.

"What are you so happy about?" Adora asked, loving the soft, genuine smile on her lover's face.

Catra just shrugged. "I'm not sure" she answered. "Up until now, I've only connected Christmas with the worst. All the bad things that I went through always seemed to happen around Christmas time: not getting adopted, losing my job, losing an old friend, ...losing you."

"Oh, Catra" Adora moaned, gently petting her love's cheek.

"At first, I tried to blame everything on the season. But over time, I started blaming my pain on everybody but who was really the cause: me. But not anymore" Catra stated.

Adora smiled, kissing her again.

Parting from their kiss, Catra leaned in close Adora. "Merry Christmas, Adora" she whispered.

"Merry Christmas Catra," Adora replied before kissing her again.

"Merry Christmas!" both Scorpia and Perfuma said before kissing one another.

"And happy holidays everyone!" cried out little Petunia, earning a few giggles from the guest.

And so from that Christmas onwards, Catra Weaver's life certainly couldn't have gotten much better. After dating Adora for over a year, Catra finally asked the blonde to marry her. The wedding was beautiful and eventually, Catra decided to move in with Adora at the palace, taking the prized position as royal accountant.

Catra left the moneylender business and her old townhouse in Scorpia's care. Surprisingly, Scorpia became quite the businesswoman and quite wealthy in her own right. Her daughter Petunia did indeed manage to live for quite a long time, Catra becoming like a third mother to her.

And when Adora and Catra eventually had a little kitten of their own who they named Finn, Catra knew that her happiness would last for many more Christmases. And to think, all this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for a little divine intervention.

xXx

**Author's Note:** And so this story ends! Merry Christmas to you all and to you all a good night!


End file.
